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Summary

A linear reservoir which suppled water from the engine leat to Eylesbarrow Tin Mine, and was in use between 1814 and 1852. The earthwork was included in an English Heritage archaeological field survey of the tin mine in 1999. It is the largest of its type on Dartmoor, has a total length of 192 metres, a maximum width of 13 metres and a depth of up to 2 metres. On the downslope side is a dam up to 12 metres thick which has a granite revetment lining the inside. Since closure of the mine in 1851, the dam has been breached and rear bank has been cut where a trackway crosses. At the northwest end of the leat is the water outlet, this originally opened directly onto the engine wheel leat embankment (Monument HOB UID 1300630) but was later diverted for water wheels further down the hill. The main water source was the engine leat but a second supply is depicted on a map of 1825 running into the reservoir, extending north to Copothorn Rushes and also described as the engine leat. An additional supply of water came from drain-off from the Shallow Adit (Monument HOB UID 1300505).

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021055: Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE257
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1300605
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/27/34
• Old SAM Ref: 34467

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RESERVOIR (XIX - 1814 AD to 1852 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Reservoir shown on 19th century Tithe Map.

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

Southern end of reservoir shown on 19th century map.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 157220 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 9th may 2002. Reservoir 650 metres south-south-west of Eylesbarrow, forming part of Eylesbarrow Tin Mine. A concave shaped dam with a central breach. The dam is 4 metres wide by 1 metre high and the central breach is 2.5 metres wide denoted by a large boulder on the right side. Grass and heather. This reservoir probably served the streamwork to the south.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Depicted and described by Robertson.

Fletcher, M. + Newman, P. + Probert, S., 1999, Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor areas in the Plym Valley, West Devon (Report - Survey). SDV346268.

A linear reservoir which stored water from the engine leat at Eylesbarrow Tin Mine which operated between 1814 and 1852.
The reservoir or pond is the largest of its type on Dartmoor with a total length of 192m, a maximum internal width of 13m and a depth of up to 2m. The massive dam on the downslope side is 10-12m thick in places and has a robust granite revetment lining the inside. Since the closure of the mine in 1851, a breach in the dam and rear bank has been cut where the trackway crosses. Originally this track crossed by means of a bridge which is marked on the contemporary maps, but is clearer on the Sheepstor Parish Tithe Map of 1843. The water outlet is at the NW end and originally opened directly onto the engine wheel leat embankment (Monument Hob UID 1300630) but was probably later diverted to bypass this wheel, to be used on water wheels further down the hill.
The main water source was the engine leat but a second supply is depicted on a map of 1825 running into the reservoir, extending north to Copothorn Rushes, and also described as the engine leat. There is very little field evidence for this leat, which survives only as a feint channel in the vicinity of the reservoir, fading away as it extends to the north. An additional supply of water came from drain-off from the Shallow Adit (Monument Hob UID 1300505)which is sited 26m NE of the reservoir at SX 5964 6804.

Newman, P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 13, 36, Figure 2, 5-6, Appendix 3 (Report - Survey). SDV352201.

A very large linear reservoir which stored water above Engine Wheelpit 1 at Eylesbarrow Tin Mine existed by 1825. The reservoir was 192 metres long with a maximum internal width of 13 metres and a depth of up to 1.3 metres. The massive dam on the downslope side is 10-12 metres thick with a granite revetment lining the inner face. Since the closure of the mine in 1851 a breach in the dam and rear bank has been cut where the trackway crosses. Originally this track crossed by means of a bridge shown on historic maps.

Newman, P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, Figure 2 (Article in Serial). SDV231130.

For documentary references and full description see EH 1999.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Part of the reservoir visible as earthwork banks on aerial photograph.

English Heritage, 2013, Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains (Schedule Document). SDV231131.

The 19th century Eylesbarrow Tin Mine opened in 1814 and continued until 1852. During this time several companies were formed to run the mine and most failed to make a profit. Eylesbarrow's importance stems from its unrivalled array of 19th century mining remains making it the largest and most informative example of a large scale water powered tin mine in Britain. At least 27 shafts and five adits were cut to reach the tin lodes, seven whim platforms and two water powered engine wheels were built to power the lifting and pumping machinery, a series of tramways were made to carry the ore to six separate stamping mills and, to complete the picture, a smelting house was constructed to smelt the processed tin from the stamping mills. The size of the operation is further emphasised by the large number of ancillary buildings constructed to serve the mine. Amongst these are a count house, dormitory accommodation, blacksmith's shop, powder houses, sample house and various storage buildings.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Part of the outline of the reservoir shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor. The Eylesbarrow archaeological landscape
• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)

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