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Summary

Later known as Wheal St Ann. A tin mine first documented in 1539 as Shilston Beme. By 1580 the mine was powered by water supplied by a 12 mile leat from Watern Combe. The mine was worked until 1641 and reopened in 1687. In 1698, the miners were taken to court over rights to possession to the water in the Bradford Leat. The miners lost the case and the mine closed. The surviving feature comprises a flooded opencut measuring 90 metres by 250 metres and 30 metres deep to the water level. This was formed by a blocked by a drainage adit.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX69SE57
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 897980
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX79SW/11

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OPENCUT (XVI to XVII - 1539 AD (Between) to 1698 AD (Between))
• TIN MINE (XVI to XVII - 1539 AD (Between) to 1698 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV222291.

Hicks, c. /tda/114(1982)xxx/proceedings of 120th annual meeting. Bradford pool is flooded pit of tin works some four acres in extent. Mine was worked by burgoyne family in early 16th century. It was fed by a twelve mile long leat from Watern Coombe. Mine abandoned c.1642 and site flooded. Leat was diverted to feed new mills at Gidleigh some ten years later. A lease of 1687 and numerous court cases of early 18th century relate to this mine, which was abandoned in early 18th century and not re-opened until 1790. Abandoned again in 1804. Re-opened in late 1840s with two shafts. Closed and sold in 1849 (hicks).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV222292.

Des=greeves, t. /an assessment of dartmoor tin working/(1990)24/in smr. One of richest 16c tinworks in devon. Also geologically distinct as a "stockwork". Well documented from 16c (greeves).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV222287.

Ramsden, j. V. /tda/84(1952)90 fig.1/notes on the mines of devonshire.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV222288.

Ormerod, g. /tda/2(1866)110/tin streaming at chagford.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 195 (Monograph). SDV149229.

Costello, L. M., 1981, The Bradford Pool Case, 58-77 (Article in Serial). SDV222290.

The earliest references to tin-mining at Bradeford Pool date to 1539, in the Chagford Churchwarden Accounts, when the mine was known as Shilston Beme. By 1580, a group of 'adventurers' assured that the mine had water power by constructing a 12 mile leat from Watern Combe, SX625857, to power machinery to process the ore and drain the workings at a cost of £1,500. The mine was worked until 1641 and reopened in 1687. In 1698, the miners were taken to court over rights to possession to the water in the Bradford leat. This case, for which there is extensive documentation is important for showing how mining activity competed with other industries for the use of water as a power source, and the power of Common Law Courts over Stannary Law Courts, the miners losing their leat, and therefore their mine when the case was transferred to the Court of King's Bench, Westminster.

Cranstone, D. + Hedley, I., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme: The Tin Industry Step 3 Site Assessments, 59, Devon 65 (Report - non-specific). SDV357946.

A large opencut is circa 90m x 250m and 30m deep to the water level, which formed after being blocked by a drainage adit in the 19th century.

Bodman, M., 2015, Mills on the Teign. A gazetteer of water-powered sites on the Teign and Bovey and their tributaries, 77-78 (Monograph). SDV360401.

Bradford Tinwork, Drewsteignton (SX 700 910, later known as Wheal St Ann), served by the Bradford Leat (MDV27493); a 12 mile long leat that cost £1,500 to construct in the 16th century. Mining at Bradford openwork ceased in 1653, although it later re-opened in 1687. One of the richest tinworks of north-east Dartmoor, it was later worked in 1846 when it was worked by an 18-inch cylinder rotary steam engine, although this was ultimately unsuccessful and the venture ceased in 1849.

Moss, M. W., 2015, The Bradford Tinwork Leat and Its Route: Through Enclosed Ground, 155-184 (Article in Serial). SDV361921.

See article for full detail.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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