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Summary

Site of an 18th century smelting house and lime kiln at Impham Quay

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX47SW/528

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SMELTING HOUSE (Post Medieval to XVIII - 1540 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, 564 Vol XV, 179 (Record Office Collection). SDV336696.

Unknown, T1258M/E16C, 27-8 (Record Office Collection). SDV336695.

Hoskins, W. G., 1952, The Making of the Agrarian Landscape, 168 (Article in Monograph). SDV320933.

Hamilton Jenkin, Dr. A. K., 1974, Mines of Devon. Volume 1: The Southern Area, 32 (Monograph). SDV336694.

The area around Wheal Impham was being explored for copper in the early 18th century. Other details: Vol 1.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1981, List of Doubtful Devon Tin Mills c1450-c1750 (Un-published). SDV336693.

Smelting house at Impham. Marked as "Smelting House" before 1758. Although likely, there is no proof that this was a tin smelting house. The grid reference is approximate. Other details: No 26.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1991, Untitled Source, 1 & 10 (Monograph). SDV336667.

Other details: Tavistock Hamlets Parish File.

Hedley, L. and Cranstone, D., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme, Zink, Copper, Minor Metals, Step Three: Copper Industry Site Assessment- Impham Smelting House, Number 1, Photoe LXXI. 11 (Report - non-specific). SDV357787.

Impham Smelting House (SX 439 706). Prime metal- Copper. Description- ‘Smelting house’ marked on map of 1768. Survives as substantial earthworks and building platforms, with slagged stone and handmade bricks; field remains suggest reverberator copper smelter. Largely in wood, but extends into pasture field. Landscape: Within Tamar mining landscape. Arch: High; stratigraphy appears to be intact, with possible below- ground survival; of furnace remains. Slag tips may exist to south. Period- 18th century. Assessment- An important and rare survival. Slag tips and wharf may possibly survive between recommended area and river (this area densely overgrown at tie of visit. Action- Schedule. Management- None. Grading- Definite national importance.

Hedley, L. and Cranstone, D., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme, Zink, Copper, Minor Metals, Step Three: The Copper Industry, Introduction to Step 3 Assessments, 7, 18 (Report - non-specific). SDV357718.

1. Impham smelting house SX 439 706.
Definite national importance.
Smelter; slag- no modification, smelting house- no modification.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1996, Tin Smelting in Devon in the 18th & 19th Centuries, 84-90 (Article in Serial). SDV240078.

Smelting House by Impham Quay, above Morwellham, an indeterminate terraced structure survives at this location. Site was smelting tin in 1724-5 & tin slag has been recovered. Other details: Mining History: Bulletins PDMHS, Vol 13 No 2.

Andrew Brown, 1998, Monuments Protection Programme The Non-Ferrous Metals (Tin, Copper, Arsenic and Minor Metals) Industries: Appendix III, Step 4 Report, Site Number DV1 (Report - non-specific). SDV357940.

18th century smelting site, a rare survivor from the period and likely to be the most representative of its technology in the southwest.

Earthwork site and therefore vulnerable chiefly to vegetation disturbance. High stratigraphic survival suggests close degree of control is necessary to safeguard importance, but dense vegetation precluded full assessment at Step 3.

Buck, C., 2005, Wheal Russell Mine, Devon: Archaeological Assessment, 36-6 (Report - Assessment). SDV336659.

A Smelting House at Impham Quay (Site 34.1) is shown on a map of 1758 & referenced in a lease of 1862. The Quay appears to be the site of the copper smelter for all the small 18th century copper mine setts in the locality. An earlier reference to Impham Quay suggests there was a lime kiln there in 1742 with further references to lime burning in 1752. The ruinous smelter & lime kiln may have provided masonry stone to build the three large buildings present in 1867 (see PRN 72820). The survey in 2005 found no trace of these buildings. Other details: Fig 6.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4040 - Wheal Russell Mine, Devon: Archaeological Assessment

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