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Summary

Remains of a stamping mill situated to the north of the Bagpark Plantation on the west side of the East Webburn River. The mill was documented from 1526 until the early 17th century. Surviving features include a wheel pit, mortar stones and leat system.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Remains of late Medieval Pitton Stamping Mill including wheel pit, mortar stones and leat system

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NW71
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445191
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/53
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Constructed, XVI - 1526 AD (Between) to 1550 AD (Between))
• STAMPING MILL (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1526 AD (Between) to 1632 AD (Between))
• WATERMILL (Constructed, XVI - 1526 AD (Between) to 1550 AD (Between))
• WHEEL PIT (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1526 AD (Between) to 1632 AD (Between))

Full description

BEESON + MASTERMAN, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV308080.

Site of mill discovered by t. Greeves 1974. Ruins of rectangular building, at least 4 mortarstones within it. Wheelpit at s end. Leat course is still visible, running from pitton bridge. In the woods to the east of the mill across the east webburn are quite extensive tinners' heaps (beeson + masterman).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309511.

Des=plan(1:100)in parish file. Site surveyed at 1:100 by t. Greeves + r. Robinson. Plans in possession of t. Greeves.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309512.

Worth, r. N. /tda/28(1896)337/some devonian items. Pitton. A stamping mill called pitton mill. At pitton there are two fields called mill park where existence of a mill is shown in a document of 1526. Another document of 1581 refers to a stamping mill called pitton. A fulling mill is also referred to as a stamping mill, so it is uncertain whether this was a tin mill (worth).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309514.

Beeson, m. + masterman, m. /dcra widecombe survey/(1979)54-55. Vis=2/5/1979 and 23/8/1979 (dcra) wood. There is the ruin of a tin-mill here, a few yards to the east of the river, near the boundary with field no 158. Documentary evidence refers to it as a stamping mill. A granite mortar stone with three mortars is visible in the centre of the ruined walls. The course of the leat is traceable from where it leaves the wall a little way above. The wheel pit was at the lower south end. No trace of smelting or a furnace has been found (dcra).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309515.

Osa=sx77nw71.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309516.

Des=dro/48/14/50/11.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV309517.

Des=dro/46/1/3/9.

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments, (1843) Plots 229-30 (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Mill Park. Lower Bushes, field no 226, pasture.

French, H., 1963, Field Names in Widecombe in the Moor, 160 (Article in Serial). SDV340274.

Beeson, M. M. R. + Masterman, M. C. H., 1979, An Archaeological Survey of Enclosed Land in Widecombe-In-The-Moor Parish, Vol III, 611 pg 54-55 (Report - Survey). SDV337078.

SX 72107852. The site of a tin mill situated close to the west bank of East Webburn River just south of Pitton Farm was discovered by Tom Greeves in 1974. It consists of the ruins of a rectangular building with many loose stones and at least four mortar stones lying within the building. The wheelpit would appear to have been at the south end of the building. The leat course is still visible coming off the East Webburn just by Pitton Bridge and running past the mill with a channel leading from the possible wheelpit obliquely down to the stream. In the woods to the east of the mill across the East Webburn are some quite extensive tinners' heaps.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Known Devon Tin Mills c1450 - c1750, No.66 (Report - non-specific). SDV319826.

Stamping / tin mill documented in 1526, 1574, 1581? and early XVII century. Field evidence.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, Medieval Industry, 94 (Article in Serial). SDV275197.

Listed as a pre-1700 tin-mill.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Not visible on RAF 1946 photos.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1990, An Assessment of Dartmoor Tinworking, 42 (Report - Assessment). SDV343684.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, Devon 54 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

A stamping mill documented from 1526 until the early 17th century. Surviving features include a wheel pit, mortar stones and leat system.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV7955 - MORTAR STONE (XVI to XVII - 1526 AD to 1632 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV1246 - Widecombe parish Survey

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