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Summary

One of the eight shafts sunk during the construction of the Tavistock Canal Tunnel on Morwelldown in the early 19th century. This is the only one which remains open. 'Air shaft' is marked on the historic Ordnance Survey maps. The earthwork pit of the air shaft was transcribed as part of the NMP survey of the Tamar Valley AONB.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHAFT (Constructed, XIX - 1801 AD to 1811 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Air Shaft from the Tavistock Canal tunnel marked on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Hedges, C., 1975, The Tavistock Canal. A Short History (Monograph). SDV361772.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, RAF/CPE/UK/2149/4142-3 (Interpretation). SDV346287.

Transcriptions of an earthwork pit from aerial photographs RAF/CPE/UK/2149/4142-3 correspond with a database record of a post-medieval air shaft to the north of Sheepridge Farm. The earthworks were interpreted as an air shaft possibly associated with East Wheal Russel mine, but is an air shaft from the Tavistock Canal Morwell Down Tunnel.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2016, Backlog Recording of the Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Survey (Personal Comment). SDV359374.

The aerial photograph reference given in the Tamar Valley NMP transcription attributes is incomplete; the date of the photograph is not included.

Waterhouse, R., 2017, The Tavistock Canal. Its History and Archaeology (Monograph). SDV361789.

Waterhouse, R., 2017, The Tavistock Canal. Its History and Archaeology, 363, 372-3, 379, figs 10.72, 10.73 (Monograph). SDV361789.

Eight shafts were sunk on the line of the tunnel, of which seven were completed (Remfry's was aborted due to hitting an Elvan dyke 16 fathoms from the surface).
Hitchen's Shaft is 48 fathoms (87.80 metres) deep and was sunk between 1804-1811; one of four shafts sunk to speed up the construction of the tunnel.
This is the only shaft which remains open; it lies in fields between the Bere Alston to Lamerton main road and the Rock to Morwelham lane. Faint earthwork traces of a dump and a circular bank enclosing the shaft survive in the field, which is regularly ploughed. The shaft is protected by an oval wall of mortared killas, rising to about 2.0 metres in height, with an iron grid on top. The wall descends into solid rock about 4.0 metres down and is thought to post-date 1832. Earthwork plan of Hitchen's Shaft included in publication.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6911 - Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme
• EDV8013 - Survey of the Tavistock Canal Tunnel on Morwelldown

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