MDE11203 - 19th Century ironstone mining remains on Martinhoe Common (Monument)

Late 19th CCentury ironstone prospecting works were recorded on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1904 as an adit and spoil heap. Slight earthworks were recorded on the site of the level in 1993, but the shaft was not visible.

An unnamed mine. Adit and shaft on Martinhoe Common, 1.5 miles northnortheast of Parracombe. Reported to be an iron mine. Date unknown. [1] Now obliterated by reclamation. [2] SS 6764 4702. The site of un-named mine workings on the southern part of Martinhoe Common. According to Claughton [1] these probably represent trial diggings for iron exploration. The site is depicted in open heathland on the 1904 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map [3]. It is shown as a roughly circular enclosure containing an adit and spoil symbol annotated 'Old Trial Level' at SS 6764 4702. Some 20 metres to the southwest at SS 6763 4700, is a circle contained within it a square enclosure annotated 'Old Trial Shaft'. They are not shown on the earlier 1890 1st Edition [4] so may not have been in existence then. This area was ploughed in 1945 [5] and is at present rough grazing land. There is now no trace of the shaft but on the site of the level, at about 285 metres Ordnance Datum, is a hollow circular area about 5 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres deep, with a slight irregular raised stony area 0.3 metres high adjacent to the west side. Position of Level confirmed by survey. [6] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7]