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Summary

Remains of a pump rod or flat rod gully recorded in the West Webburn Valley, south of Headland Warren. The feature formed part of East Birch Tor Mine which was operational between 1836 and 1927 and is depicted on a plan of 1852. Archaeological field surveys in 1990 and 2001 identified part of the route of the gully which comprised a sharp V-shaped ditch, 3.4 metres wide and 1.1 metres deep, with a flat-topped, steep-sided bank on the east side up to 6 metres wide and 1metre high. It covered a distance of about one kilometre and lead to a wheelpit, almost certainly the site of the wheel which drove the pump rods draining the mine. Several shafts are likely to have had pumps powered by this flatrod including Etheridge's Shaft, Penrose's Shaft, and West Engine Shaft.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021340: Tinworks, field systems, settlements, warren, cairns and a stone alignment at Headland Warren
• Scheduled Monument 1021393: Medieval strip field system, tinworks, part of a prehistoric settlement, a cairn and reave on Challacombe Down

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE150
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 917771
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/313

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• GULLY (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))
• TRANSMISSION RODS (Constructed, XIX - 1852 AD (Between) to 1852 AD (Between))

Full description

Broughton, D. G., 1968-1969, The Birch Tor & Vitifer tin mining complex (Article in Serial). SDV291528.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX6980, 1/33-5, 5/399-401 (Aerial Photograph). SDV245035.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1985, The Archaeology of Dartmoor from the Air, 14, plate 1 (Monograph). SDV337812.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, P. Pattison (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(13/06/1990) SX 6937 8057 Pump-rod gulley in the West Webburn Valley, south of Headland Warren, identified by Greeves (1985, 14).
1 - Section between SX 6938 8047 and SX 6940 8034 investigated during RCHME analysis of Challacombe Farm. It consists of a straight 130m length of sharp V-shaped ditch 3.4m wide lip-to-lip and 1.1m deep, with a flat-topped, steep-sided bank on the east side up to 6m wide and 1m high.
At SX 6939 8045 it is crossed by a rough bridge of drill-split slabs on drystone abutments.
At SX 6940 8034 it appears to stop on the edge of a steep slope, intersecting a leat (Monument HOB UID 917765) but at a higher level and just cutting its upper west edge. However its line proceeds south for 350m and leads precisely to a wheelpit (Monument HOB UID 915375), almost certainly the site of the wheel which drove the pump rods draining the mine. This section must have been supported above ground.
2 - On aerial photographs the feature is visible cut into the ground intermittently to the north of the surveyed section, heading for shafts at SX 693 809 on the disused East Birch Tor tin mine at Headland Warren.
The total length of rods from wheel to shafts was almost 1km.
An illustration based on drawings of c.1852 shows the pump rod course from two shafts ("Penrose" and "West Engine" shafts) on the mine to about .SX 6944 8010 and beyond to the south but not illustrated (Broughton, 1968).
Surveyed (part) at 1:2500 with SX 67 NE 111 (Monument HOB UID 915469).

Newman, P., 2002, Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines (Report - Survey). SDV363213.

(23/07/2001) Section between SX 6938 8085 investigated by English Heritage in February 2001. The channel continues north of the Challacombe/Headland boundary wall, cutting through a disused tinwork (Monument HOB UID 1344809). The footpath has been conveyed over the gully at this point using a bridge made of rough hewn granite slabs, under which the rod passed. There are then two further separate sections of gully measuring 58m and 64m. A small stone-lined pit at SX 6931 8087 could mark the position of an angle bob where the rods diverged to power separate shafts. Several shafts are likely to have had pumps powered by this flatrod including Etheridge's Shaft SX 6930 8093; Penrose's Shaft SX 6921 8089; West Engine Shaft SX 6923 8096.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7139 - Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines Survey (Ref: A1/20/2001, A1/34/2002)
• EDV8658 - Challacombe, Duchy Farms Survey

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