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Summary

Medieval or later tinner's hut associated with Brim Brook Streamworks. Archaeological field surveys in 1993 and 2004 found it to be one of three such buildings along the Brim Brook section of streamworks. It is a poorly preserved rectangular building, aligned approximately north-south and situated in a boggy area of tinworking on the east side of Brim Brook. The walls are approximately 0.8 metre thick and survive to a maximum height of 0.7 metre. The internal dimensions are approximately 5.3 metres by 2 metres. A disturbed entrance one metre wide is located in the eastern wall.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1018929: Tinners' building 90 metres north-east of the confluence of the Brim Brook and West Okement River
• SHINE: Well preserved remains of medieval or later tin streamworking at Brim Brook, Kneeset Nose and Vergyland Combe, including structural remains of tinners' huts

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58NE11
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440483
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58NE/29
• Old SAM Ref: 28732
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58NE11

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TINNERS HUT (Early Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1066 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Le Messurier, B., 1975, Building (Worksheet). SDV266883.

(08/04/1975) Ruined hut on the east bank of Brim Brook. Overgrown with heather so that it is barely recognisable. Walls are banked outside. There may have been an interior dividing wall. The floor is rush covered. There are tin streaming remains in the vicinity. Measures 5.3 metres by 1.8 metres. Wall thickness 0.8 metres.

Le Messurier, B., 1979, Post-Prehistoric Structures of Central North Dartmoor. A Field Survey, pg 72 (Article in Serial). SDV269283.

SX 58758690. A much overgrown ruin with a possible dividing wall, situated on the left bank of Brim Brook 9.0m (sic) from its confluence with the West Okement. Internally it measures 1.8m by 5.3m. Tin streaming nearby.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58NE11 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV266884.

(02/10/1979) SX 5872868691. Approximately 90m from the confluence of the streams is the poor remains of a probable tinners' hut. It has rubble walling 0.9m wide and now only 0.6m high, with a central eastern entrance gap. It is otherwise as described by Le Messurier.
(Extent of tin streaming shown on 1:10 000).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force 1946 photographs

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 28732 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(15/03/1999) Tinners' building 90 metres north-east of the confluence of the Brim Brook and West Okement river. Measures 5m by 2.3m. Drystone wall 0.7m wide. Two rooms; door. Drystone wall is up to 3 courses high. Rush and grass filled interior with grass and heather on walls. To the east of the hut there is a leat and the west lies the river. There are streamworks within the vicinity but these are not included within the monument. The n room measures 2.3m by 1.4m and the s room is 3.1m by 2.2m. Surveyed at scale of 1:100.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 216, Map 42, Site 'TH3' (Monograph). SDV219155.

Tinners' hut 'TH3' of circa 5.0 metres by 2.2 metres is almost hidden under vegetation. It lies a short distance up the east bank of 'Brim Brook' which has been 'streamed' almost to its source.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(31/03/1994) SX 5873 8692. A poorly preserved rectangular building, aligned approximately N-S and sited in a boggy area of tinworking on the east side of Brim Brook. The walls, which are turf covered with only a little masonry still visible, are approximately 0.8m thick and stand to a height of 0.7m. The internal dimensions are approx. 5.3m by 2m. A disturbed entrance 1m wide is sited in the eastern wall. The floor contains some tumbled stone.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(20/03/2004) As described in 1994. The site is in poor condition due to the boggy nature of its location.

English Heritage, 2005, Survey Information (miscellaneous date) (Report - Survey). SDV345855.

Small rectangular building shown on survey.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1018929 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

The monument includes a tinners' building situated on a slight terrace overlooking the Brim Brook and West Okement River. The building survives as a 0.7 metres wide drystone wall standing up to three courses and 0.9 metres high surrounding a rectangular area measuring 5 metres long by 2.3 metres wide. The structure is divided into two rooms and a gap midway along the eastern wall represents an entrance. A bank standing adjacent to the southern side of the building may represent an earlier waste dump or more likely was thrown up to offer additional protection against inclement weather. This building was probably constructed and used as a shelter by tinners working at the nearby streamwork, which is the subject of a separate scheduling.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7620 - Okehampton Artillary Range
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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