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Summary

Remains of two tinner's or shepher's huts on the north bank of the River Tavy. The northern hut orientated east to west is 4.6 metres by 2.5 metres with walls up to 0.6 metres high. The southern structure is 2.7 metres by 2.2 metres with walls up to 0.3 metres high

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of medieval or later streamworking and remains of tinners' huts east of Walkham Head

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440640
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/31
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SE22

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHELTER (Post Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1950 AD (Between))
• SHEPHERDS HUT (Post Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1950 AD (Between))
• TINNERS HUT (Post Medieval to Mid 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1950 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Visited on 14th May 1976. At SX 58958135. A hut 55 metres north of right bank of Tavy. Internally 1.8 metres by 4.6 metres, with low incomplete walls containing some vertical slabs. Tin streaming not far away. (Probably pre-1700 in date).

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX58SE22, SX58SE22, photograph (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV268695.

(16/10/1979) A tinner's hut at SX 58948134, as described by Le Messurier. The walling is 0.8m thick and up to 0.6m high at the east and west ends. There are very few heaps of tinners' waste in the valley, which is now very marshy, but the broadness of the bottom suggests tin streaming. (Extent of tin-streaming delineated on 1:10 000).
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on MSD. See ground photograph.

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

Not visible on Royal Air Force verticals.

Butler, J., 1991, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Two - The North, 110, Map 33, Site 3 (Monograph). SDV219155.

Two tinners' huts '3' on the north side of the River Tavy which seem to have been deliberately demolished. Only the end walls are left of the first building of circa 2.0 metres by 4.8 metres with the remains of the other of similar dimensions.

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

(02/08/1995) SX 59058137 and SX 59028134. two ruinous buildings on the moderate south-facing slope above the right bank of the River Tavy.
SX 59058137. The east to west oriented building, measuring approximately 4.6 metres by 2.5 metres internally , is much as described by authorities 1 & 2. Below it to the south-west at SX 59028134 are the remains of another very crude almost square structure. Measuring 2.7 metres north to south by 2.2 metres the grassy interior is contained by boulder walls 0.7 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. There is no obvious entrance. Neither hut can be directly associated with tinworking, both lie well away from the valley bottom which in this area displays little evidence of tin streamworking. A more likely use would seem to be as shepherd's dwellings or shelters.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

(10/08/2004) As described in 1995. Condition remains unchanged.

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

Two rectangular buildings shown on survey.

Cartographic Engineering, 2006, Dartmoor 2006 1:1250 Aerial Photography (digital) (Aerial Photograph). SDV345590.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

'Tinners Hut (Remains of)' shown as a circular feature to the west on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

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