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Summary

South Wheal Crebor, also known as New East Wheal Russell. Worked between 1816-1821 by the Tavistock Canal Company. Earthworks of an irregularly shaped bank of a spoil heap and a sub-circular pit of a possible shaft are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2005.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX47SE/348

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)
• SHAFT (XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• SPOIL HEAP (XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Earthworks, structures and features labelled as ‘Smithy’, ‘Engine House’, ‘Magazine’, ‘Shaft’ and ‘South Wheal Crebor (Copper)’ are depicted on this location.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 131, 137 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

New East Wheal Russell opened and prospected for arsenic in 1922-23 but was not actually reworked. Also known as South Crebor.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 22-FEB-2005 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

An irregularly shaped bank and sub-circular pit are visible as earthworks.

Newman, P., 2011, Mining in the Tavy Valley, West Devon. An Assessment of Archaeological Potential, 21-22, Fig 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV347105.

There is little documentary material regarding the origins and history of South Crebor Mine although undated ground disturbance caused by surface workings has been recorded to the west on Morwell Down. These probably represent medieval and post-medieval tin working. The 19th century workings apparently commenced between 1830 and 1840. In 1867 the South Wheal Crebor sett was worked under the name of New East (Wheal) Russell, although a plan and section of 1869 shows New East Russell to be undeveloped. A small ouput of copper was recorded from South Crebor in the early 1880s and the mine was wound up in 1883. Attempts were made to reopen but it is not known how successful this was. Surviving remains include the outline of an engine house and a cobbled dressing floor. Other details: Site No. 8.

Buck, C., 2015, Buctor Farm, Tavistock (Report - Assessment). SDV359746.

This study was commissioned by the landowner on behalf of Natural England as part of a Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Agreement Scheme and produced by Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Council.

Whilst the low lying masonry remains of South Wheal Crebor (Newman 2011, Site 10), are outside the eastern side of the stewardship landholding, the leat tunnel is within the site ownership. The South Wheal Crebor Mine Sett plan (1867: DHC T1258 M/E/14b, and reproduced in Newman 2011, fig 6), labels an ‘Adit’ at the northern end of the core mine site – close to the eastern end of this feature. This tunnel feature appears to allow water from the steep western side of the Tavy Valley (Stonage Rocks) mine workings to either enter the River Tavy, or to be re-used within the mine itself as a power or dressing water source. Another alternative functional interpretation could be that the tunnel was a cattle/sheep ‘creep’. (See MDV115958)
Survey
The tunnel portal is fully extant. Figure 19 shows the feature from the west side. It is approximately 3m high and 1.9m wide, built of granite stone with arched portals and killas stone interior. The stone has been revetted on both north and south sides of each embankment cutting, on both sides of the disused railway line. A build-up mound of earth and leaf mould slightly restricts visual evidence of both openings, and helps to retain water build within the tunnel.

Significance
Medium
The tunnel feature is within the landholding of Mr Hutchins. The feature is extant and in a relatively good condition.

Recommendation
The site should be retained, with a minimal amount of disturbance to the masonry and adit mouths. Any future reuse of the railway line will need to clear out this feature. The CEC survey (2015, Site 23) stated: ‘no obvious gaps for c

Waterhouse, R., 2017, The Tavistock Canal. Its History and Archaeology, 177-8, fig 6.29 (Monograph). SDV361789.

South Wheal Crebor
This narrow and intermittently productive working was largely worked above adit and exploited the eastern end of the southern Holming Beam lode on the side of the Tavy valley. Held initially by John Gill and John Taylor, it passed into the Tavistock Canal Company's management in around 1815 and appears to have been trialled between 1816-1821, with unknown results.
The majority of the surface remains are located in a narrow strip of woodland below the Shillamill to Bere Alston road, but these seem to be of mid-19th century date. The deep adit however contains an early 18th century fireset copper stope and is understood to have been re-opened and extended from around 1830, by the Tavistock Consolidated Mines Adventurers.
From 1860 to around 1880, the mine was worked as New East Russell and then briefly in the early 1920s.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

Earthworks of an irregularly shaped bank, circa 33 metres across, and a sub-circular pit, 10 metres diameter, are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2005.
Earthworks, structures and features labelled as ‘Smithy’, ‘Engine House’, ‘Magazine’, ‘Shaft’ and ‘South Wheal Crebor (Copper)’ are depicted in this location on the late-19th century First Edition Ordnance Survey map. The bank corresponds with an earthwork on this map and is interpreted as a possible spoil heap associated with this mine. It has not been transcribed as part of this survey since its visible extents on lidar imagery closely correspond to that shown on historic maps. The sub-circular pit was, however, transcribed and is interpreted as a possible shaft. A shaft is depicted in this location on the 2021 Ordnance Survey MasterMap.
The earthworks are not visible on other available aerial imagery owing to dense tree cover of Particliffe Wood.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

The earthwork pit corresponds with a point labelled as ‘Shaft’.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7058 - Archaeological Management Plan, Buctor Farm, Tavistock (Ref: 2015R055)
• EDV8345 - Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M) (Ref: ACD2380)

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