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Summary

Remains of a post medieval building situated on right bank of West Okement River 350 metres southwest of Lint's Tor. Archaeological field surveys in 1994 and 2004 found it to be a single roomed structure measuring 4.2m by 2.1m internally with coursed boulder walls 1.1m wide and surviving to a maximum height of 1.25m. An entrance lies slightly north of centre in the southwest wall. There is no trace of a fireplace or chimney and no internal details are visible. Ten metres to the southeast of the building is a small, semi-circular structure, 1.2 m in diameter, constructed of coursed boulders. The main building appears too recent and too well built to be a tinner's hut and lacks the evidence of processing activity indicative of a blowing house or stamping mill. It would seem more likely that the main structure represents a shepherd's hut with an associated kennel lying to the southeast.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58NE5
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440465
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58NE/12
• Old SAM Ref: 28710

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TINNERS HUT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• SHEPHERDS HUT (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Le Messurier, B., 1975, Building (Worksheet). SDV269280.

Site visited on 8th April 1975. At SX57758750. Hut 23 metres from river bank measuring 2.7 metres by 4.9 metres internally, with one wall 1.5 metres high. Various outside banks; shelter to the south-east and line of stones 45 metres to the south. Tin streaming nearby.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1978, Building (Worksheet). SDV349939.

(05/04/1978) Hut with internal length 4 metres, width 2.5 metres. Substantial rectangular building on right bank of the West Okement. Probably a tinners' building as there are workings a short way downstream from it. There is possibly a leat course leading to it.

Le Messurier, B., 1978-1979, Post-Prehistoric Structures in Central North Dartmoor: A Field Survey (Un-published). SDV269282.

Le Messurier, B., 1979, Post-Prehistoric Structures of Central North Dartmoor. A Field Survey, 70-71 (Article in Serial). SDV269283.

Report as in 1975; now published.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58NE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV349937.

(29/08/1979) Both Greeves and Le Messurier appear to refer to the probable tinners' hut at SX 57758722. It measures 2.4m by 4.4m internally with drystone walling 0.3m to 0.7m high except for the south end which is 1.5m high. There is a centrally placed doorway in the south west side. There is evidence of tin streaming both up and down stream.
The banks, shelter, possible leat etc. are probably prehistoric (see SX 58 NE 13).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD and at 1:100. See ground photograph.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not visible on 1946 photographs.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 216, Map 42 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Depicted and described by Butler.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(08/09/1993) SX 5775 8722. The remains of a substantial rectangular building located on the right bank of the West Okement River 350m SW of Lints Tor. The single roomed structure measures 4.2m NE to SW by 2.1m internally with coursed boulder walls 1.1m wide and a maximum of 1.25m high. An entrance lies slightly N of centre in the SW wall. There is no trace of a fireplace or chimney and no internal details are visible. The tumbled remains of a further wall lie parallel to and immediately in front of the SW wall at a distance of 1.2m. Its function is uncertain.
A small, semi-circular structure, 1.2m in diameter, built of coursed boulders lies 10m SE of the building. It is open to the S and resembles a small shooting butt.
The location and construction of this site are enigmatic; the main building appears too recent and too well built to be a tinners hut and lacks the evidence of processing activity indicative of a blowing house or stamping mill. It would seem more likely that the main structure represents a shepherd's hut with an associated kennel lying to the SE.
A dry leat channel (SX 58 NE 40) formerly servicing the streamworks on the right bank of the West Okement River (SX 58 NE 20) has been effaced by clearance around the site.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(16/03/2004) This well preserved ruin and the small outbuilding to the SE are both well defined and are as described. Resurveyed in 2004.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

'Tinner's Hut (remains of) ' shown on as a square feature modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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