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Summary

An area of tin streamworks and lode workings at Drivage Bottom. The tinworks form a narrow band of approximately 2.4 hectares of disturbed ground extending between the area at the head of the valley, 300m west of Nun's Cross and the confluence of Drivage Bottom Stream and Newleycombe Lake. The edge of the streamworks is marked by steep escarpments and the working area is made up of mounds of spoil and water channels. A small openwork is located at SX 5984 6986. It is oriented approximately east to west and is 130m long by 16m wide, with steep sides. The top section of the openwork has an earthen bank built across it to form a reservoir 30m by 12m long by 1m high. A second reservoir is located just to the north at SX 5989 6987. The remains consist of a 48m by 6m by 0.5m high linear bank built against the moderate slope of the hillside. It is likely that most of these tinwork remains date from the post-medieval period, though some may be as late as the 18th or 19th century associated with Wheal Chance Tin Mine.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of a section of the late 18th century Devonport Leat running from Raddick Hill to Nun's Cross, including extensive tinning remains at Cramber Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE349
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1446513
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/507
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66NW/160

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• EXTRACTIVE PIT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• PROSPECTING PIT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• RESERVOIR (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• STREAMWORKS (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2363 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric, (1968) (Cartographic). SDV350058.

'Old tin workings' shown on the 1968 Ordnance Survey map.

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

Line of trial pits visible on the 1946 aerial photograph extend off map at SX 60407000.

Newman, P., 1987, The Moorland Meavy - a Tinner's Landscape, 225, 230, 237, fig 4. (Article in Serial). SDV231207.

SX 5989 6984 Openwork 11. Openwork at Drivage Bottom. Supplied by leat SX56NE/506. Adit positions still visible.

Wessex Archaeology, 2002, Cramber Tor Training Area Rapid Condition Survey, WA174 (Report - Survey). SDV354588.

Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA174.

Newman, P., 2007, Cramber Tor Training Area Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV348210.

(01/08/2006) An area of tin streamworks and lode workings at Drivage Bottom. The tinworks form a narrow band of approximately 2.4 hectares of disturbed ground extending between the area at the head of the valley, 300m west of Nun's Cross and the confluence of Drivage Bottom Stream and Newleycombe Lake. The edge of the streamworks is marked by steep escarpments and the working area is made up of mounds of spoil and water channels. A small openwork is located at SX 5984 6986. It is oriented approximately east to west and is 130m long by 16m wide, with steep sides. The top section of the openwork has an earthen bank built across it to form a reservoir 30m by 12m long by 1m high. A second reservoir is located just to the north at SX 5989 6987. The remains consist of a 48m by 6m by 0.5m high linear bank built against the moderate slope of the hillside. It is likely that most of these tinwork remains date from the post-medieval period, though some may be as late as the 18th or 19th century associated with Wheal Chance Tin Mine (Monument HOB UID 440204).

Fletcher, M. J., 2007-2008, Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project (Report - Survey). SDV359195.

Probert, S., 2008, Follow-Up Works to Cramber Tor Archaeological Baseline Condition Survey, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV351304.

Greeves, T., 2012, Cramber Tor Training Area. Monument Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV350251.

Probert, S. A. J., 2017, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of the Cramber Tor Training Area, Devon, 2017 (Report - Survey). SDV360392.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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