Tavistock Canal - Archaeological Surveys

Mine Sites

The research carried out for the author's forthcoming book on the Tavistock Canal included surface and to some extent, underground surveys of mines associated with the Canal Company, or which used canal water for power. This research was selective, as only a few sites have significant remains of their surface workings undisturbed by later forestry or agricultural activity.

Underground remains tend to be rather better-preserved, though these too are affected by the vagaries of geology. While some areas of the Devonian slates which make up the majority of the valley's geology are solid ('competent', as miners say), others can be very soft and liable to fracture apart, especially near mineral lodes, where the structure of the rock is altered. This means that some workings have very unstable sides, where sometimes large sheets of rock split away from them, falling into the workings and choking them.

In addition, many lodes and cross-courses contained deposits of soft slippery clay (known as 'fluccan') which tends to move when wet to fill any voids - such as mine workings. These problems are what makes mine exploration a risky activity (see the disclaimer in red at the beginning of this website) and tend to affect the survival and accessibility of underground archaeology in the Valley. The examples of underground surveys presented here were made in stable parts of underground workings accessed by the author as part of targeted surveys of specific mines.