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Summary

Site of 18th century Crowndale Copper Mine with five shafts shown on 19th century map. The earthwork pits of possible mine shafts and quarries, spoiheaps, structural remains and trackways were transcribed as part of the NMP Tamar Valley and Tamar/Lidar AI&M surveys.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX47SE/19

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TIN MINE (Constructed, XVI - 1508 AD to 1599 AD?)
• MINE SHAFT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• SPOIL HEAP (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• COPPER MINE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1825 AD)

Full description

de la Beche, H. T., 1839, Report on the Geology of Cornwall, Devon and West Somerset (Monograph). SDV337075.

Ree, 1842, Encyclopedia (Monograph). SDV337407.

Henwood, W. J., 1843, Metalliferous Deposits (Monograph). SDV337406.

Anonymous, 1843-1849, Mining Journal 1843-1849 (Article in Serial). SDV337403.

White, W., 1850/1968, White's Devon. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Devonshire (Monograph). SDV6497.

Spargo, T., 1864, Mines of Cornwall and Devon (Monograph). SDV242422.

1867, Bedford Estate Survey Map of Crowndale Mine (Cartographic). SDV351515.

Estate map shows areas of filled shafts to the south and south-west of Crowndale.

Hunt, R., 1870-1872, Mineral Statistics (Unknown). SDV241727.

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

Site of 'Crowndale Mine (Copper, disused) shown on 19th century map to the west of the Tavistock Canal with five 'Shafts' and a small rectangular building on the east side of the northwestern boundary.

Collins, J. H., 1895, Mineralogy of Cornwall and Devon (Monograph). SDV242421.

Collins, J. H., 1912, Observations on the West of England Mining Region (Monograph). SDV323594.

Unknown, 1920, Special Report on Mineral Resources (Report - Assessment). SDV337404.

Dewey, H., 1921, Lead, silver and zinc ores of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, 337 (Article in Serial). SDV62838.

Other details: Tavistock.

H. M. Stationary Office, 1929, Abandoned Mines (Monograph). SDV215700.

Ordnance Survey, 1938, 105SE. Revision of 1905 with additions in 1938. Provisional Edition (Cartographic). SDV336767.

Crowndale Mine (Copper, Disused) marked on 1938 map.

Finberg, H. P. R., 1945, Morwell, 169 (Article in Serial). SDV215737.

Wheal Crowndale was one of the richest copper mines in the Tavistock area.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Earthworks are visible in this location.

Ramsden, J. V., 1952, Notes on the Mines of Devonshire, 92; Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV60737.

Minchinton, W. E., 1976, Industrial Archaeology in Devon, 29 (Monograph). SDV7016.

C 29 Crowndale Mine. Plans R 27 C - R 105 A M. R. O. and Bedford Estate office. Copper, tin, arsenic. Wheal Crowndale was opened in 1799, and it was one of the main reasons for the building of the Tavistock Canal. The Duke of Bedford was averse to the development of this mine and it was not worked on a large scale after 1858. It was prospected in 1924 for the working of arsenic. A timbered shaft from the 1924 workings can be seen from the Tavistock Canal towpath.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1980, SX47SE34 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV337408.

Crowndale Mine (copper, disused) OS 6" 1971
Crowndale Mine opened in 1799 and was one of the main reasons for building the Tavistock canal. It produced mainly copper, arsenic and some tin and iron. The Duke of Bedford was averse to the development of this mine and it was not worked on a large scale after 1858. It was prospected in 1924 for the working of arsenic. A timbered shaft from the 1924 workings can be seen from the Tavistock canal towpath. Industrial Archaeology in Devon 1976, 29 (Minchinton, W.)

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 131 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

Some work was undertaken above adit by toll in 1923-26.

Bodman, M., 1998, Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 31; No 59 (Report - non-specific). SDV305931.

Environment Agency, 2000-2019, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Environment Agency LAST RETURN 15-FEB-2016 (Cartographic). SDV363954.

Sub-oval and irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible as earthworks.

Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 2001-2002, Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme Transcriptions and Database Records, RAF/CPE/UK/2501/4111-2 (Interpretation). SDV346287.

Transcriptions of at least four possible mine shafts, quarries, spoiheaps, structural remains and trackways set within an area of industrial ground disturbance visible on aerial photographs RAF/CPE/UK/2501/4111-2 correspond with a database record of a post-medieval copper mine at Crowndale Mine. Map object based on this source.

Greeves, T., 2003, The Tavistock Canal: A Review, 14 (Report - non-specific). SDV356552.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 220 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

'Wheal Crowndale Mine' was described in a sale of 1802 as a copper mine with a "water-engine, stamping mill and whims". In 1824 a 40 foot by 6 foot water-engine was advertised for sale.

Smith, J. R., 2006, Bere Alston to Tavistock Railway: Archaeological Assessment, 28 (Report - Assessment). SDV336796.

Two open Mine Shafts (Sites 44 and 45) at the former Crowndale Mine lie adjacent to the former Bere Alston to Tavistock section of the railway on the northwest side of the line. The survey in 2006 found the shaft at SX47017247 was cut into the solid rock and poorly capped with two wooden sleepers and some steel mesh. The shaft at SX4702372489 had run in to a choked cone at the surface and was surrounded by a fence in poor condition.

Pearson, C., 2007, Bere Alston Railway Line, Devon: Results of Mine Shaft Inspections (Report - non-specific). SDV351516.

Inspections were carried out on two shafts which are part of the former Crowndale copper mine. The abandonment mine plans for the mine are incomplete and inaccurate and they do not show the full extent of the mine working. See report for full details.
Map object based on this source.

Newman, P., 2011, Mining in the Tavy Valley, West Devon. An Assessment of Archaeological Potential, 50 (Report - Assessment). SDV347105.

Wheal Crowndale, also known as Crowndale Copper Mine and New Crowndale. Tinworks are recorded at Crowndelham in 1539 and a large tin openwork survives at the site of 19th century activity. This is one of the largest setts in the Tavy valley and an undated abandoned mine plan shows a well-developed mine with 10 shafts. The lode was an eastern extension of the Wheal Crebor lode which continued into the sett of East Crowndale. The mine worked throughout much of the 19th century, although figures show that it was not particularly productive in the 1850s-1870s. The mine reopened during the First World War and a further attempt to work the site for arsenic occurred in 1924-26. The main surface remains are capped shafts and levelled spoil although the outline of a possible wheelpit is visible but it is thought there is little in the way of upstanding remains. Other details: Site No. 25.

Buck, C., 2011, Tavistock-Bere Alston Railway, Devon: Archaeological Impact and Mitigation Recording Report, 6-7, 11-12 (Report - non-specific). SDV348278.

In late 2008 work was undertaken which was required for the conversion of the disused Bere Alston to Tavistock railway line to a footpath and cycleway. The railway passes close by the sett of Crowndale Mine, and during archaeological recording in October 2008, a partly open mine shaft adjacent to the up side of the railway line was photographed, as was the closed mine shaft to the north (Gill's Shaft). The report includes a sketch plan and section of the estimated extent of related mine workings which extend underneath the railway line from the unnamed open shaft. Other details: Figures 2-3, 6-12.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: Tamar Aerial Survey project area, LIDAR Tellus LAST RETURN 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV363955.

Irregularly shaped pits and banks are visible as earthworks.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Map object based on this source.

Tamar Valley AONB volunteers, 2015, Watery Heritage Research Project for Tamar Valley AONB (Report - Assessment). SDV366118.

Wheal Crowndale. The document notes that “its water wheels driven by a leat cut from the Tavy at Tavistock” (Booker, Frank. 1971 ed. Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley, 106) were not found on the 1955 map.
The document also notes that Carolyn Hedger in her account of the Tavistock Canal (Dart Publications 1975 No.16) states that: “there was already a leat cut from the River Tavy at Tavistock to provide water for Crowndale Mine” which she concludes must have followed the same course as “John Taylor’s navigable cut” (pre-1803). The document records that if so, the leat must have been destroyed by the cutting of the canal and that it would be worth checking the evidence on the ground as there are several sluices on the East bank well away from the river, which might follow the line of the old leat.
The document notes that the Tavistock Times on 11/7/1924 refers to operations starting at Crowndale “cleaning up the adit” and that it is not clear if this occurs on the river bank.
The document also records that Booker (Booker, Frank. 1971 ed. Industrial Archaeology of the Tamar Valley) mentions a leat and water wheels driven by current from Canal.

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, 215-217, Figs 6.70-72 (Monograph). SDV361789.

Wheal Crowndale and East Crowndale
Began as a tinwork known as 'Crondell Ham', recorded in 1508, the mines close-set multiple shafts and a broad openwork near the River Tavy suggest it was reworked for copper from the early 18th century.
A group led by John Gill and John Taylor were granted the sett from 1799 and initially the work progressed well, but as the lode progressed, problems with water were experienced. A leat was cut from Abbey Bridge to the mine and this allowed progress to be made by the end of 1801.
The lease on the mine was given up in 1815 and the sett passed to the Canal Company who documented a long section of the mine. This included the workings east of the river, separated after 1820 and worked as East Crowndale (confusingly re-named East Wheal Crebor in the later 19th century).
Workings were extensive and the lode was followed on several levels including ones below the river. The mine was recorded as abandoned in the early 1820s. See figures showing the mine's development.
East Wheal Crowndale/East Wheal Crebor
Worked the eastern part of the Wheal Crowndale lode , initially east of the river as an independent concern, but was later amalgamated with the workings to the west of the river. Never particularly successful. Achieved notoriety in 1880 when the Tavy flooded the mine, drowning three miners in the 70 fathom level of its deep adit.

Hegarty, C., Houghton, E., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2020-2021, Tamar/Lidar; A Single Source Approach to Landscape Survey and Socially Distanced Community Archaeology Area 1 (AI&M project) (Interpretation). SDV363945.

Sub-oval and irregularly shaped pits and banks of shafts, extractive pits, an openwork and spoil heaps associated with Wheal Crowndale Mine are visible as earthworks on 1940s RAF aerial photographs and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013 and 2016.
The pits and banks measure between 5-84 metres long, with an additional area of more subtle earthworks defined by an extent of area polygon and up to 94 metres long being visible at SX46997247. The extent of the visible earthworks occupies an area of circa 3.5 hectares.
They correspond with earthworks and features depicted on the late-19th century First Edition Ordnance Survey map which are labelled as ‘Shaft’, ‘Shafts’ and as ‘Crowndale Mine (Copper, disused)’. This map also shows that part of the redundant workings to the north-east has been given over to an orchard.
Several of the transcribed earthworks possibly correspond with peer records of this mine, including four mine shafts (MDV104413) and an openwork of a tin works (MDV79975). These peer records have not been individually amended and the attribute data for these transcriptions have been appended to this record.
Earthworks and structures associated with this mine were also recorded from aerial photographs during the Tamar Valley NMP project. The features have been re-transcribed during this survey from lidar data which has provided additional clarity and detail as well as improved spatial accuracy, but which was unavailable to the previous survey.
The earthworks associated with Wheal Crowndale Mine are not visible on other available aerial imagery owing to thick tree cover.

Unknown, Unknown, Plans of Crowndale Mine, Tavistock (Plan - measured). SDV351269.

Plans and sections of mine. A handwritten note on the sections state that they are pre railway and canal. The plans are of South Crowndale.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4099 - Bere Alston to Tavistock Railway
• EDV5659 - Archaeological Monitoring and Recording of Part of the Tavistock to Bere Alston Railway Line
• EDV6911 - Tamar Valley National Mapping Programme

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