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Summary

Ward Lead Mine, consisting of several buildings, a chimney and a curvilinear dump of spoil, is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 25inch First Edition map and annotated as disused. The dump remains identifiable as an earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and 2019.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NW/512

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAD MINE (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

BUCK, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV219466.

Vis=11/3/1998 (buck) engine and boiler house connected to accommodation. Chimney stack demolished but flue visible under access road to nearby house. Engine shaft visible as converted pond has structural cracks and lies adjacent to footpath. May be another shaft in spoil heap s of engine house, used as septic tank (buck).

Jenkin, A. K. H., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240158.

Author gives background to the lead and silver mines. Refers to advertisement in 1835 which suggested that it had been recently closed by flooding. After its abandonment the engine house was converted into a farmhouse (jenkin).

OS 1906, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240160.

Shown as disused mine on 1906 map (os 1906).

OS 1784, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240161.

Not shown on 1784 drawings (os 1784).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240166.

Ramsden, j. V. /tda/84(1952)100 fig.1/notes on the mines of devonshire.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240167.

H. M. Stationery office/abandoned mines/(1929).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240168.

Collins, j. H. /mineralogy; cornwall and devon/(1895).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240169.

Collins, j. H. /observations on west of england mining region/(1912).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240170.

Special report mineral resources/21(1921)/lead.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240171.

Dines, h. G. /the metalliforous mining region of sw england vol 2/(1956)681- 682.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240172.

Jenkin, a. K. H. /mines of devon vol 1/(1974)36,40-41.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240173.

Booker, f. /industrial archaeology of the tamar valley/(1971)54-58,65.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240174.

Des=os 25" map/(1906).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240175.

Des=os survey drawings,sheet 18.2/(1784).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240176.

Donn, b. /map of the county of devon/(1765).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240177.

Des=plan in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240178.

Des=cranstone, d. /hbmc assessment of lead industry/(1991)/ms in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240179.

Atkinson, b. /mining sites in cornwall and south west devon/(1988)79.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240180.

Barton, d. B. /the mines and mineral railways of east cornwall and west devon/(1954)99.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240181.

Des=os 6"(1907)111nw.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240182.

Nance, r. W. M. + nance, r. D. /a survey of engine houses on the mines of south devon, in p. Newman (ed) the archaeology of mining and metallurgy in south-west britain/(1996)109-122/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240183.

Des=buck, c. /preliminary assessment of sites of archaeological importance in the tamar valley/(1998)47/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240184.

Gover, j. E. B. + mawer, a. + stenton, f. M. /the place-names of devon/(1931).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240185.

Des=dyer, m. J. + manning, p. T. /objective 5b: lower tamar valley recreation + land management initiative: cultural heritage appraisal/(1998)43/ea report 98.60.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240186.

Des=buck, c. /preliminary assessment of industrial sites of archaeological importance in the tamar valley/(dec 1998)52/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV240187.

Nance, r. D. /project design for a survey of engine houses on the mines of south devon/(1996)/in smr.

BOOKER, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV256537.

Booker suggests that this mine represents the best survival of a typical silver/ lead mine in the district. He gives details of the royal involvement in these mines in the medieval period. The engine house, it is implied, is fairly well preserved although the adjoining stack has been demolished. Pumping rod fixtures visible, the shaft is visible as a depression adjoining the garden path. To the north of the engine house are the remains of the dressing floors and some cottages which were once part of the counthouse. Ceased working about 1880 (booker).

Dines, H. G., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV265453.

W3 ward. Plans r 143 f - 169. M. R. O. Lead (ramsden). Also called south ward. Part of the group called bere old mines or tamar valley mines which were active in the 13th century, and reopened in the 18th-19th centuries.1873-1876 it produced 130 tons of lead ore 390oz of silver (dines).

Dyer, M. + Manning, P., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV27135.

Ward was first recorded in 1309 as the home of robert atte warde and as ward in 1571 (dyer + manning).

Cranstone, D., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV310288.

Vis=est=-/-/1990 (cranstone) engine house converted to dwelling. Tips intact. Houses/farm buildings to north may have originated as mine buildings. Washing floor and flat rod bearings could not be located. Ngr given as sx426677.(cranstone).

Donn, B., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87914.

South ward is named on county map of 1765 (donn).

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Ward Mine (Lead, Disused) is depicted.

Devon County Council, 1970, Devon County Council, Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969, Register of Disused Tips, Vol. 1 (Report - Survey). SDV356723.

Mineral worked, Lead.
Waste materials tipped. Heavily overgrown at time of survey.
Two location maps included; 1:10560 and 1:2500

Cranstone, D., 1991, The Lead Industry, Site 1B (Report - non-specific). SDV90317.

Small 19th century mine with engine house (converted to dwelling) and intact tips. Houses/farm buildings to the north may have originated as mine buildings. Washing floor and flat-rod bearings could not be located.
Engine house is an attractive building, and is unusally early example of domestic conversion; merits listing. Rest of site contains no features worthy of protection.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 19-APR-2019 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

A D-shaped mound or terrace is identifiable.

Bellamy, L., et al, 2002, A Study of the Maritime Archaeology of the Eastern Tamar Estuary (Report - Survey). SDV348208.

Lead and silver mine located on the Devon side of the River Tamar. The mine, also known as South Ward Mine is part of the group called Bere Old Mines or the Tamar Valley Mines that were active during the 13th century.
The mine was re-established and worked for argentiferous lead ore during the 18th and 19th century. In the early 18th century the mine is thought to have closed due to flooding.
The shaft can currently be seen as a shallow depression that adjoins the garden path. The shaft has been filled in for safety reasons and is presently covered with grass.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

A D-shaped mound or terrace is identifiable.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 02-DEC-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The slopes of the earthwork are obscured by tree cover. The level area is in use as a garden.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

A D-shaped terrace or dump circa 60m by 50m in size is identifiable as an earthwork on the south-west facing slopes south of Ward Mine, on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and 2019. The earthwork is interpreted as the remains of the mine spoil dump.
The terraced area formed by the mound is in use as a garden and turning area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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