MEM23944 - Post-medieval openwork on Burcombe (Monument)

SS 75292 37950. A water and vegetation filled openwork more than 70m long and up to 3m wide was noted by Cornwall Council during a walkover survey of the Burcombe and Wester Emmetts as on the east side of, and parallel to, the trackway known as the Two Moors Way. It is flanked by linear spoil dumps of brocken rock up to 1.6m high on both the northeast and southwest sides. There are also some discrete spoil heaps, separate from the linear dumps, to each side of the openwork, perhaps representing different phases of work. The feature is likely to be post-medieval and may have been part of the Roman Lode iron mining complex to the north at Cornham Ford (MSO6804 & MSO6812): the late nineteenth-century 1st edition Ordnance Survey 6in: 1 mile map shows various earthworks in the combe north of this site and labels them 'Iron Mine (Disused)'. SS 7266 37975. A quartz rich earth set stone measuring 0.5 by 0.3 metres and 0.2 metres high was noted adjacent to the spoil mentioned above. It was suggested that this could be an earlier earth set feature, but was more likely to be part of the wider spoil. [1] A post-medieval linear openwork with irregular sections, was discovered by the Mires officer on a walkover survey of the area. Due to its association to other monuments it was likely related to the post-medieval mining complex of Burcombe. The earth set stone was again thought likely to represent spoil. [2]