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Summary

Remains of Medieval or later tin works covering an area of 0.5 hectares on the west bank of Stannon Brook. An archaeological field survey in 1988 recorded the foundations of two buildings and the earthwork remains of a small rectangular enclosure and a number of leats.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Structural and earthwork remains of a medieval or later blowing mill on the Stannon Brook east of Hartyland Farm, with leat and probably directly associated with deserted medieval farm buildings

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67NW22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 442569
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/19

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BLOWING HOUSE (Built, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• ENCLOSURE (Built, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Built, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• TIN WORKS (Built, Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV265881.

Des=worksheet. Vis=17/5/1974 (greeves) The mouldstone is visible in the wall on the right bank of Stannon Brook. The leat to the blowing house clearly visible. Slag in a rabbit burrow analysed by the Institute of Geological Sciences as tin slag (worksheet).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV265885.

Des=burnard, r. /ms notes in 6" os map of dartmoor in possn. Lady sayer.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV265888.

Archaeology in Devon Annual Report / Devon County Council Vol 5(1982)15. The remains of the medieval tin blowing mill on the Stannon Brook north of Postbridge have been partially obliterated by the dumping and spreading of topsoil, as a result of agricultural activities.

Baring Gould, S., 1902, 8th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 165 (Article in Serial). SDV215645.

Burnard, R., 1907, 25th Report of the Committee for Scientific Memoranda, 74 (Article in Serial). SDV248382.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 476 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Worth, R. H., 1938, Dartmoor Blowing Houses, stray notes, 3, 452 (Article in Serial). SDV229109.

Hartland Moor, Stannon Brook, remains of blowing mill. Much ruined and disturbed. Mould stone in adjacent stone fence. The mould stone is roughly square, rather irregular and the mould itself has been damaged by heat.

Worth, R. H., 1940, The Dartmoor Blowing House, 214 (Article in Serial). SDV154693.

Hartland Moor, Stannon Brook, remains of blowing mill. Much ruined and disturbed. Mould stone in adjacent stone fence. The mould stone is roughly square (14.5" by 11.5" at top, 11.5" by 8.5" at bottom and 4" deep). Possible weight of ingot 210 pounds.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950, SX67NW22 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV265880.

SX 6483 7956 Blowing House (remains of) described by Worth (1940, pg 214).
(23/06/1950) Blowing House (site of) The structural remains of this blowing house have entirely disappeared, only a deep rectangular pit in the bank of the Stannon Brook now marks the site. The mould stone referred to by Worth was seen in position as described.

Worth, R. H., 1953, Dartmoor, 295 (Monograph). SDV231148.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SX67NW22, plan/photo (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV265871.

(17/10/1978) This blowing house was cut back into slope to a depth of about 1 metre and there is virtually no exposed stone, which may have been removed for the local newtake wall. The primary feature is a pit 15 metres long and 12 metres wide, open on the east. The lead-in leat may have been routed around the west and where there is a terrace 1 metre wide; the outflow to the southeast and Stannon Brook is still obvious.
At approximately SX 64877954 is a mould-stone, built into a field wall. It measures 0.8 metres by 0.5 metres overall, the mould being 0.4 metres by 0.3 metres and 0.1metre deep.
Blowing house surveyed on P.F.D. at 1.10,000.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No. 77 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

No. 77 Blowing mill (undocumented) field evidence.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Middle Merripit Survey Drawing (Plan - measured). SDV321106.

The 'scarp' shown on the OS illustration is the bank of the leat (greeves).

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

Not visible on RAF 1950 aerial photograph.

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

(24/07/1989) Centred at SX 64857952 on flat ground on the west bank of the Stannon Brook about 345m OD, are the remains of probable medieval tin works, consisting of foundations of two rectangular buildings, a small rectangular enclosure, earthworks and associated leats, covering an area of about 0.5 ha. The land to the immediate west of the site has been infilled and levelled as part of recent (1981) land reclamation (see plan at 1:1000).
The buildings A and B lie to the south of the area and are visible as heavily turfed stone walls 0.8 metre to 1.5 metres wide and about 0.5 metre high where best preserved. Building A at SX 6485079521, is 10.8m east-west by 3.4 internally. A lowering of the wall at the east end of the north wall may indicate the entrance. The west end of the building is set against and below a leat (here a gorse covered terrace 1.5m wide cut into the slope) suggesting utilisation although no wheelpit is evident. The structures interior is now sloping probably due to overspill from the infill. At SX 6484679495 the remains of building B are 7.8 metres east-west by 4.5 metres internally. The west end has been obscured by the reclamation and no entrance can be seen.
About 10m to the north of B is a small rectangular enclosure C, 4.8 metres east-west by 4 metres internally. A depression about 0.7 metres wide central to the east wall may be an entrance. To this enclosure are attached two walls visible as turf covered stony banks up to 1.8 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. One from the northwest corner extends northeast for 10 metres turning sharply to the east for about 10m before petering out. At the southwest corner of the enclosure there is a gap of about 1metres before the second wall commences, faced by a large slab, running some 5 metres to the west where it turns due south for 4 metres before becoming lost under the landfill. A scarp connects the southeast corner of C to the northeast corner of building B. No trace was seen of any other buildings or enclosures.
On the 1905 OS 1:2500 map (6) a hollow is shown at SX 6483379564 as the site of a Blowing House (or Tinners Mill). The siting symbol on the 1:1000 plan shows the now infilled hollow was at the projected junction of the leats, suggesting the siting was correct.
Centred at SX 6482579573 is a slightly crescentic turf covered stony mound about 15 metres east-west by 3 metres and 1.2 metres high. It is not the remains of a building or walling. Along its northwest side is a water worn gulley, possibly formed by run off from an old leat course visible as a slight depression running in from the west. The area to the west and south of the mound has been obscured by infill.
The leat serving the tin works was taken off the Stannon Brook about SX 64807972 some 200 metres to the north, visible where best preserved, as a well defined terrace. This is about 1 metre wide, cut into the east slope to a depth of about 0.5 metre, with an upcast bank 1.5 metres wide and 0.3 metre high on the downhill side. At SX 6483579576 it is obscured by the landfill, reappearing 19 metres further south to pass the west end of building A. It is obscured again at SX 6484579501 for 16 metres, then appears through gorse covered ground until destroyed by a roadside quarry south of a modern wall A tail leat in much poorer condition and presumably from the blowing house, runs eastwards for 25 metres from SX 6484979556, where it is 1.2 metres wide and 0.1 metres deep, with 14 metres of bank 2 metres wide, 0.3 metres high on its northeast side. It ends at a wall beside Stannon Brook.
At SX 6485775964 set on its side into this wall is a mouldstone, made from a moorstone block 0.8 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and 0.7 metres deep, with a central rectangular hollow on its west face 0.4 metre by 0.38 metre and 0.1 metre deep. A slight groove worn on the top edge of this face could have resulted from levering out of ingots which perhaps weighed 210lbs.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 39 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 40 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

Remains of a blowing house and associated features on flat ground on the west bank of the Stannon Brook north-east of Ringhill. The blowing house may be Medieval or post-Medieval in origin.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Lane, K. + Horsham, R., July 1998, DTRG AGM Postbridge Excursion, 2-4 (Article in Serial). SDV214902.

(21/03/1998) Stannon Brook blowing mill located in area known as 'Hartiland Moor' or 'Mucks Hole Gate' at SX 64867952 has three substantial associated buildings. In 1974-75 Tom Greeves found tin slag at furnace lining at the site before it was buried in 1981.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8648 - Middle Merripit Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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