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Summary

Remains of a tin stamping mill and dressing floor situated on the east side of the Walla Brook within an earlier gully associated with an area of streamworks which would have been long disused when the mill was built. The site served the Golden Dagger Tin Mine. An archaeological field survey in 2002 recorded a stone wheelpit with stamps area attached to the east and a level terrace, with revetted rear wall cut into the base of the gully forming the dressing floor. On the dressing floor are four shallow hollows which represent remains of the buddles; each had its tail running into the base of the earlier channel, which also served as a tailrace on the western end below the wheelpit is a substantial raised 50m-long leat embankment which delivered water from two leats. The earliest date for this stamping mill and dressing floor is not known but it is of design and layout which was common on Dartmoor from the 1790s to the 1860s. It was abandoned by 1884 when it was depicted but not annotated on the Ordnance Survey first edition 25-inch map.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021340: Tinworks, field systems, settlements, warren, cairns and a stone alignment at Headland Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE397
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1362163
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NE/69

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BUDDLE (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1884 AD (Between))
• DRESSING FLOOR (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1884 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1884 AD (Between))
• STAMPING MILL (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1884 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1884 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV289570.

Des=das/soussons archaeological sites/in pf.

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

Outline of the stamping mill depicted on the late 19th century historic map.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force 1950 aerial photograph as in wooded area.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 42 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

(24/05/1974) Typical 19th century tin dressing floor, densley planted with trees. Otherwise in good condition, consists of a wheelpit approx. 4m long, with an adjoining walled enclosure and the remains of at least two settling pits there is an L-shaped structure adjacent to the wheelpit, within which the stamps would have fallen. There is a well preserved leat embankment leading to the site. It is probably mid 19th century or earlier. It is the only remaining example of this type of stamping mill in the Golden Dagger and Vitifer area. The site is marked as a structure on OS sheet SX67NE.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 56b (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

A moderately well preserved stamping mill with associated features including a wheelpit, stamps area and buddles.

Bird, R. + Hirst, P., 1995, Survey Notes: The Soussons Forest (Northwest) Tin Stamping Mill (SX672799) (Report - Survey). SDV289571.

Stone-lined wheelpit around 4.5 metres long, 0.65 metres wide, open at southern end. Has been partly demolished and infilled. Wheel would have been of nominal 10 foot diameter and breast of a little under 2.0 foot.
The east side of the wheelpit probably formed part of a low wall running from leat embankment to banks on far side. Extending from the middle of this wall towards the north-east is a mound representing a platform on which stamps operated. Use has been made of a broad channel, possibly from early streamwork or surface working of a small lode, to set the dressing floor around 1.5 metres below surrounding ground level. Along about two-thirds of the north-west side is a well-constructed retaining wall. About a third of the way from the north-east end of this wall is a large projecting stone which appears to have been sited as a support for a rectangular buddle or for a launder serving a buddle.
The dressing floor probably had one stamps settling pit and two buddles. The areas either side of the buddles appear to have been stone flag floors. The dressing floor layout and retaining wall probably date to mid-19th century but the stamps end of the mill seems earlier - tentatively c.1790. There seems to have been therefore two phases of use, with the original mill being refurbished and the good retaining wall either representing a refacing of the original wall or, more probably, an enlargement of the dressing floor, the layout of which would be of the later date.
May have been part of the 'Runnige Moor Mine' recorded in 1792. Documentary evidence supports usage by Golden Dagger Mine from approximately 1850 to perhaps 1880, when it is assumed the site was abandoned.

Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group, 1995, The Soussons Forest (northwest) Tin Stamping Mill (SX672799) (Report - Survey). SDV360433.

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

(25/07/2002) A tin stamping mill, located at the far west extent of the Golden Dagger sett, on the east side of the Walla Brook. The mill is built into an earlier gully associated with an area of streamworks which would have been long disused when the mill was built. Although the mill itself is clear it is currently surrounded by conifers. The remains consist of a stone wheelpit with stamps area attached to the east and a level terrace, with revetted rear wall cut into the base of the gully forming the dressing floor. On the dressing floor are four shallow hollows which represent remains of the buddles; each had its tail running into the base of the earlier channel, which also served as a tailrace on the western end below the wheelpit is a substantial raised 50m-long leat embankment which delivered water from two leats L13 and L14, though the final section of L14 is not clear. The earliest date for this stamping mill and dressing floor is not known but it is of design and layout which was common on Dartmoor from the 1790s to the 1860s. It was abandoned by 1884 when it was depicted but not annotated on the OS 1st edition 25-inch map (dated 1883).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7390 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7402 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7403 - Survey of the Soussons Forest (northwest) Tin Stamping Mill
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV7139 - Headland Warren and the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mines Survey (Ref: A1/20/2001, A1/34/2002)

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