See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Mine shaft number 20 forming part of the 19th century Eylesbarrow Tin Mine

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021055: Eylesbarrow Tin Mine and associated remains

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1300505
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/216/7
• Old SAM Ref: 34467

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE SHAFT (XVIII to XIX - 1750 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Earthwork shown slightly to the south-east on 19th century map.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 157252 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 9th May 2002. Shaft 340 metres south-south-east of Eylesbarrow, forming part of Eylesbarrow Tin Mine. A very sharp sided pit measuring about 4 metres deep. Grass, bilberry and heather. Dump is all around and stands up to 1 metre high.

Newman , P., 1999, Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine, 6-10, Figures 2-3, Appendix 1 (Report - Survey). SDV352201.

Over thirty shaftheads are still visible at the 19th century Eylesbarrow Tin Mine . They consist of conical pits surrounded on the downslope side by a crescentric ring of spoil or linear spoil dumps.
Shaft 20 is in an area of earlier activity where deposits were initially exploited by either streamwork or openwork methods. This shaft may only have been an air shaft.

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

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

Shaft shown on aerial photograph.

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

One of the mine shafts at Eylesbarrow Tin Mine.

English Heritage, 2013, Pastscape, 1300505 (Website). SDV352645.

Remains of nineteenth century mine shafts and adits at Eylesbarrow Tin Mine, which was mined from 1814 until 1856. An English Heritage archaeological field survey identified 25 shaftheads of which 16 have names recorded in documentary sources.
Most of the shaftheads comprise conical pits between 9 metres and 16 metres in diameter, surrounded on the downslope side by either a crescentic or linear spoil dump up to 3 metres high. Some also have remains of masonry collars. It is likely that the majority of the shafts would originally have had collars, particularly those associated with winding or pumping equipment but they were destroyed or obscured when the shafts were capped after abandonment. At least five of the shafts were associated with pumping equipment, powered by the two waterwheels located on the lower flanks of the hill. Three shafts have evidence of balance bob pits built into the upper rim of the shafthead. Six of the shafts were used for winding.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4966 - Survey of Drizzlecombe, Eylesbarrow, Ditsworthy and Hartor
• EDV6239 - Eylesbarrow (Ailsborough) Tin Mine

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.