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Summary

Wheal Dorothy. Remains of a tin mine which was documented in 1891 and 1909. This is a mine that very little is known about and this includes the extent of the mine's sett. It is likely that the mine reworked the streamworks within its vicinity and that the working of the tin lode was very limited. An archaeological field survey of the site in 2007 identified possible prospecting pits including two conjoined pits, approximately 5m deep, with substantial spoil heaps. An apparent drainage adit, now blocked, cut into the slope on the south side of the pits and a channel leads away to the east. Associated with the pits are two buildings. The larger of the two appears to be L- shaped in plan with internal dimensions of 2m by 5.7m overall with walls surviving to a height of 0.6m. A possible entrance was located on the southwest side. The second building is situated to the south and survives as a stone-lined hollow measuring 3.7m by 2.5m and up to 0.3m deep. The scale of these workings suggest that only exploratory work took place at this mine.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of two ruined post-medieval mine buildings and associated mine shafts and tips to the west of Huntingdon Warren, which may be the remains of Wheal Dorothy, mentioned in the late 18th century

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX66NE88
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1059552
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NE/300

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ADIT (XIX to Edwardian - 1891 AD (Between) to 1909 AD (Between))
• MINE SHAFT (XIX to Edwardian - 1891 AD (Between) to 1909 AD (Between))
• PROSPECTING PIT (XIX to Edwardian - 1891 AD (Between) to 1909 AD (Between))
• STREAMWORKS (XIX to Edwardian - 1891 AD (Between) to 1909 AD (Between))
• TIN MINE (XIX to Edwardian - 1891 AD (Between) to 1909 AD (Between))

Full description

Greeves, T., 1984, Mining remains at Huntingdon Warren (Worksheet). SDV252096.

Site visited on 8th June 1984. Mine shaft and two associated buildings on east side of the Huntingdon Warren boundary ditch, which changes direction at this point. The larger structure is approx 4 metres by 4 metres internally, with a recess approx 2 metres by 1 metre. The other, approx 4 metres by 2 metres internally, lies approx 16 metres south-west of the first. Its long axis is parallel with the warren boundary ditch. This site could be identified with Wheal Dorothy, mentioned in 1759.

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

(31/01/1996) SX65016663. The remains of Wheal Dorothy Tin Mine (Newman, P pers com) lie on the crest of a broad ridge which divides Red Lake from the River Avon. The site consists of two large shafts, spoil heaps and two ruined buildings. These adjoining shafts are irregular in outline but average 6m in diameter and are currently around 2.5m deep. They are partially enclosed by low spoil heaps and several smaller tin pits 3.0 to 5.0m in diameter. The buildings only exist at foundation level; the northernmost, at SX 6508466635, is L-shaped measuring 3.4m N to S by a maximum of 5.6m. It is built into the waste heaps and possesses an entrance placed centrally in the S wall. The S building, at SX 6508766615, is more rectangular measuring 2.4m NW to SE by 4.1m with a possible fireplace in the NE corner. There is no obvious entrance to this structure.
There is no evidence to associate a function with either of these buildings, though it is clear from the field remains that ore processing did not take place at this site.
Several amorphous gulleys and water channels lead to or from the site of the mine which is also bisected by a boundary ditch which once enclosed Huntingdon Warren.
A site account and an area survey at 1:2500 scale are deposited in the archive.

English Heritage, 2005, Industrial Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV346396.

The site consists of two large shafts, spoil heaps and two ruined buildings. These adjoining shafts are irregular in outline but average 6 metres in diameter and are currently around 2.5 metres deep.
Mine shafts and buildings depicted. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Two buildings are depicted on the modern map. Map object based on this source.

Newman, P., 2018, Erme Valley Survey data (GIS and Excel spreadsheet) (Cartographic). SDV361913.

Features shown on survey.

Newman, P., 2018, The Upper Erme Valley, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: An Archaeological Survey, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV362921.

Remains of a tin mine, probably Wheal Dorothy, of which little is known other than its name which is mentioned by Burnard (1891) and Crossing (1909), though it is likely to have been operational long before those dates. The working is limited to a cluster of pits and a deep pit working at SX 6507 6662. This comprises two conjoined pits of approximately 5 metres deep, with substantial spoil heaps around the exterior. An apparent drainage adit, now blocked, cuts into the slope on the south side of the pits and a channel leads away to the east. There are two buildings associated with the pits. The larger sits on the eastern lip of the pit. It has an L shape footprint with a narrow section on the east end. The internal dimensions are 2 metres by 5.7 metres overall by up to 0.6 metres high and the narrow section at the eastern end is 1 metre wide. There is a possible entrance opening on the south west side. The stone foundations of a second structure are sited to the south. It comprises a stone-lined hollow of 3.7 metres by 2.5 metres by 0.3 metres deep. The scale of these workings suggest this mine never went further than an exploratory phase.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8082 - Survey of the Upper Erme Valley
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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