Chapters III of William Crossing’s A Hundred Years on Dartmoor covers the topic of the Industry on the Moor in the 19th Century. A significant part of that chapter describes the mining industry, therefore this blog will start its exploration of that chapter with the mines of Dartmoor.
A Visual Bibliography
Over a series of posts I will collate the names and locations of the mines listed in several publications. These I will bring together in a map that will form a handy visual bibliography to mining on Dartmoor.
An Unknown but Important Source
I have started this mine name collection with the best Dartmoor mining book on my shelf, but one with a big problem.
Since obtaining the small publication I have lost its cover and front matter, a loss caused by its intense use. I believe it was called something like:
The Mines of Dartmoor granite and metamorphic areola
In the preface it names the Exeter Industrial Archaeology Group and describes the book as a Pamphlet in which Michael Atkinson, Roger Burt, Peter Waite. Distilled their knowledge. The preface was written by Walter Minchinton in 1977. I am still scouring the internet for a copy, when I have found one I will update this post with a link, a this is definitely a book worth grabbing when you see it.
The Mines
The numbers in this list refer to the reference numbers in the book for each mine. The grid references are linked to the locations on the Ordnance Survey on line mapping, and the historic map link will take you to the mine site on the excellent National Library of Scotland website. Those mines named in bold are mentioned by Crossing in A Hundred Years on Dartmoor.
1. Bagtor SX762759 Tin
Historic map.
2. Birch Tor and conditions SX680810. Tin
Historic map
3.Bushdown SX680820 Tin
Historic map
4. East Vitifer SX708823 Tin
5. Eylesbarrow SX598681 Tin
6. Gobbit SX647728 Tin
7.Golden Dagger SX680803 Tin
8. Great Rock SX827815 Micaceous Haematite
9. Great Wheel Elenor SX735833 Tin
10. Hawkmoor SX798818 Micaceous Haematite
11. Hexworthy SX655710 Tin
12. Huntingdon SX666673 Tin
13.Kelly SX795818 Micaceous Haematite
14. King’s Oven and Waterhill SX674813 Tin
15. Kit SX563675 Tin
16.Moorwood SX777838 Micaceous Haematite
17. Nun’s Cross SX602699 Tin
18. Plumley SX804806 Micaceous Haematite
19. Shaptor SX806810 Micaceous Haematite
20. Shuttamoor SX823829 Micaceous Haematite
21. West Vitifer SX679828 Tin
22. Whiteworks SX612708 Tin
23.Wray SX771848 Micaceous Haematite
24. Bachelor’s Hall SX597734 Tin
25. Baracott SX740822 Tin
26. Bowden Hill SX819809 Micaceous Haematite
27. Devon Tin SX668738 Tin
28. Foxhole SX546854 Tin
29. Goosford SX676918 Tin, Mispickel
30. Great Weeke Consols SX713875 Tin
31. Hemsworthy SX745761 Tin
32. Holwell SX746774 Tin
33. Laployd Down SX807850 Micaceous Haematite
34. Peck Pits SX763833 Tin
35. Rattlebrook SX560857 Tin
36. Ringleshutes SX674698 Tin
37. Steeperton SX 615884 Tin
38. Wheal Prosper SX573793 Tin
An author's work in progress 