Rediscovering Dartmoor's metal mines

The extraction of tin on Dartmoor has a documented history and associated archaeology stretching back well into the medieval period. By the 18th century, this together with copper, silver-lead and iron extraction, had become part of a thriving mining industry. Although a good amount of research has taken place into Dartmoor’s industrial past, fieldwork has been confined mostly to the uplands where mining remains are freely accessible, though even here, fieldwork has been minimal. Wheal Betsy engine house: Dartmoor's most iconic symbol of its industrial past stands within an extensive industrial landscape which is often overlooked and, as yet, is mostly un-researched. 

On the periphery of Dartmoor, a great many mines are known from documentation and of these a good number are known to possess field remains. The majority of these mines lie in secluded, private and often wooded areas, where little systematic field investigation has taken place. However,  Contemporary photography and documentary record alone can tell us that these were in some instances large, productive complexes and important places of work, employing hundreds of people, often forming the economic heart of small rural communities.  Upon abandonment the machinery was removed and the sites left to decay undisturbed to be overwhelmed by trees and undergrowth.

In winter 2005-6 the English Heritage Archaeological Survey and Investigation team, based at Exeter, began a systematic examination of surface evidence of mining on both the uplands and peripheral woodlands within Dartmoor National Park, looking specifically at mines from the 18th-20th centuries. Work has initially focussed on  the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh district which covers an area of approximately 174 km2 on the south-east corner of the National Park. Within this pilot area, a total of 35 sites where field evidence of mining is present have been identified so far and various levels of survey have  been carried out to record them.  Great Wheal Eleanor: A rare upstanding wheelhouse which once housed a 40ft diameter water wheel, now neglected and overgrown. 

The main outcome of the work, apart from the obvious benefits of increasing our understanding of a hugely neglected part of Dartmoor National Park’s historic environment, will be a detailed report  discussing the significance of the surface remains at both the individual mines and in the National Park as a whole.  A more indirect benefit is the raising of awareness among residents in the locality, of an industry where many of their ancestors worked, though its material legacy is becoming  largely forgotten.

For further information about this project, please contact Phil Newman in English Heritage's Exeter office on 01392 824901 or phil.newman@english-heritage.org.uk