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Summary

Building 2: Incorporating or composition mill built in the 19th century at Powder Mills gunpowder factory

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016635: Gunpowder factory at Powder Mills, a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement and round cairn

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67NW/51/2
• Old SAM Ref: 28718

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• INCORPORATING MILL (XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX67NW99 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV350197.

Pye, A. R. + Robinson, R., 1990, An Archaeological Survey of the Gunpowder Factory at Powdermills Farm, Postbridge, Devon, 20-22, Figures 6,8, Plates 5-6,12-14 (Report - Survey). SDV254157.

Building 2: Incorporating or composition mill at Powder Mills gunpowder factory. Same basic character and form as 'Building 1'. However, tar drips indicate that either it was not gable ended, or the gable ends were constructed of timber of lesser width than the walls below. Units (A) and (B) flank a wheelpit. Unit (B) is a mirror image of unit (A). The bedding for the wheel axle within the opening through the south wall is very well preserved beneath the turf. The granite has been highly polished by one of the cog-wheels. Central granite machine setting less complete than unit (A). Indication of first floor western doorway not matched in the east wall, though this may be masked by secondary rendering. Unit (A) has ground floor openings to the south and west. Inside a series of granite blocks runs east to west across the centre. The central one bears an impression of a machine setting. At first floor level are openings in the east and west walls, possibly originally with doors flush with the walls.Wheelpit similar to that in 'Building 1'. To the west the outflow exists through a culvert, which appears to be of secondary build to units (A) and (B). Outflow continues west in the form of a leat, towards 'Building 3'.

Pye, A., 1996, The Gunpowder Factory at Powdermills, 221 (Article in Serial). SDV254160.

Gerradrd, S., 1998, 149176 (Un-published). SDV257727.

Incorporating or composition mill forming part of the gunpowder factory at Powder Mills.

National Monuments Record, 1999, 442786 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV248155.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Building shown on modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Ruins of gunpowder mill. Established in 1844 by a Plymouth alderman George Frean. Originally quite an extensive complex of buildings running up the valley with several water wheels turned by water from a leat and with 2 chimneys. All the buildings are now in varying degrees of ruin although one chimney survives and 3 main groups are recognisable of granite rubble with granite lintels, all roofless. The chimney is well constructed with stringcourse near the top and plinth. It has a covered channel running downhill from it towards the largest ruinous building. The invention of dynamite in 1867 rapidly superceded gunpowder. and the mills, which employed about 100 men closed in the 1890s.

English Heritage, 9/10/1981, Gunpowder factory at Powder Mills (Schedule Document). SDV350194.

A gunpowder factory established in 1844 by George Frean, and remained in use until 1897, when it closed as a result of increasing competition from dynamite and a slump in local mining activity. The production of gunpowder involved combining a mixture of saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal and the buildings in which the different stages of the process were carried out survive at Powder Mills. The process was inherently dangerous and to reduce the chances of cataclysmic explosions, the buildings were situated at a safe distance from each other and each had a flimsy roof which would have allowed any explosion to be carried upwards. Amongst the buildings identified at Powder Mills are: grinding mills; blending mills; incorporating mills; a range of buildings where the gunpowder was broken, pressed, corned, dried, dusted and glazed; and finally charge magazines.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6029 - An Archaeological Survey of the Gunpowder Factory at Powdermills Farm

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