See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Barton Iron Mine. Levelled preparatory to agricultural use. Ironstone with 'micaceous haematite' abundant on the ground.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS73SW/5

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MINE (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 1906 6 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV60735.

'Old Iron Workings' shown on Ordnance Survey 1906 6 inch map.

Unknown, 1919, Special Report on Mineral Resources (Report - Scientific). SDV60738.

Ramsden, J. V., 1952, Notes on the Mines of Devonshire, 89, B4 (Article in Serial). SDV60737.

Barton, North Molton, SS724/320, Iron

Ordnance Survey, 1963, Ordnance Survey 1963 6 inch map (Cartographic). SDV60736.

'Old Workings' is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1963 6 inch map.

Youell, R.F., 1971, Mineral Deposits of Western Exmoor (Site Visit). SDV60667.

Substantial quantities of metalliferous are present on Exmoor. Workings date back to before Elizabethan times, but ceased about 1880 at the time of a recession in the iron and steel industry. The mineral deposits were of both acedemic and commercial interest, but the difficulties of transport as compared with mines of South Devon and Cornwall will put them at a disadvantage.

Beer, P., 1972, 16th report of the Geological Section, 197, 199 (Article in Serial). SDV60727.

On 17th April 1971, Youell, R.F., led an excursion which covered the mineral deposits of Western Exmoor. Barton Mine had been levelled preparatory to agricultural use. The excursion was able to collect specimans merely by walking along the ground surface and picking them up without excavation. Ironstone with 'micaceous haematite' was abundant.

Claughton, P. F., 1973, The Metalliferous Mines of North Devon and Exmoor, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV60739.

Barton Pitts, opencast workings on north side of Bampfylde Hill. Site of ancient workings for iron.

Dixon, D., 1983, Mining and the Community in the Parishes of North Molton, South Molton, Molland and Twitchen, Devonshire, Volume I and II (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV343736.

Claughton, P., 1993, A List of Mines in North Devon and West Somerset (Unknown). SDV60741.

Some 1870's working as part of enlarged bampfylde sett (108?).

Instone, E., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Iron Mining Industry- Introduction to Step 3 Site Assessments, 37, Site Number 2. (Report - non-specific). SDV357954.

Site Number 2.
Barton Pits (SS 723 320).
Site not of national importance.

Lancaster University Archaeological Unit, 1998, Iron and Steel Industries, Monument Protection Programme (MPP), Introduction to Site Assessments (Report - Assessment). SDV362922.

Site of the 'ancient' iron workings and later reworked as part of the enlarged Bampfylde sett in 1870s. The site consists of a deep pits in a roadside copse.

Some archaeoloigcal remains may survive from the early phase of mining

There is no dating for this early area of mining and as it was reworked in the 18070s (leaving nationally insignificant remains), a case for Scheduling cannot be made.

Unknown, 2002, Barton Pits (Correspondence). SDV343058.

Letter sent to Historic Environment Service from Exmoor National Park as Bartin Pits is situated outside of their administration. The letter describes Bartin Pits as three setts of openworks and appear to have been worked in antiquity and are considered by local historian Annett, N (unpublished manuscript) to have been the mines of Domesday iron workers. It is thought the pitts were worked for manganese some time prior to be taken over by the Bamfylde Company. Dressing floors were erected near the present entrance to Hunnawins Farm, but the mine closed soon after and does not appear to have been worked since. The western and central parts of the working have now been levelled but the eastern still remains.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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