Surface Mining Gazetteer - Morwellham Down - Lodes 6-10

Lode 6 - Name & date unknown

NGR:

Appears on the 1946 RAF APs as a line of large disturbances on an east-west alignment, crossing the main B3257 road and Hartshole Lane just north of Orestocks Cross. A long narrow fir plantation lies just west on a slightly different alignment connecting with the upper part of Maddacleave Wood, but this does not contain any visible lodeback pits. Have they been filled?

Lode 7 - Name & date unknown

(but possible names and dates listed below)
NGR:

Possibly Two Brothers Copper Work, 1718 as this was described in 1718 as being 'in Maddacleave Wood'; probably worked as George & Charlotte South Lode from 1760s. Consists of a line of fairly large lodeback pits, causing a kink in the eastern boundary of the wood and extending down towards the river. It appears to be aligned on a short adit driven into the hillside from beneath a C19 sawpit at the northern end of New Quay.

Lodes 8 & 8a - Parts of Providence Copper Work, later George & Charlotte Mine

NGR:

Parts of Providence Mine 1718 & 1724, part of George & Charlotte Mine c.1760s to 1869. A single rich lode passing up the steep valley side from the river bank was broken by a cross-course near the top of the wood, heaving it 10-15m to the south. It continued east of the cross-course as far as the main road, but surface indications are few further east.

From the cross-course, a second parallel Lode 8a formed a stringer which varied from 10m south of Lode 8 at the cross-course to 40m apart at the main road. They may rejoin at a point 200m east of the road, but this is uncertain. Both lodes were heavily worked on with evidence for largely infilled gunnises from half-way up the valley-side to the top of the wood. Short lengths of gunnis, open for up to 3m deep with associated ancient building platforms to the north side are visible in the higher wood between the C19 Captain's House and the top of the slope, while evidence for C19 infill of a former gunnis up to 30m deep has been found in Middle Adit.

Just west of the wood edge adjoining Morwell Down are several well-preserved costeaning trenches, apparently attempting to find the lode, which was heaved about 10-15m south by a cross-course in this vicinity. Two more costeaning trenches have been observed in the lower wood just south of the C19 Middle Adit.

The western continuation of Lode 8 should in theory pass beneath Morwellham Quay, and it is possible that the small C19 working at was sunk to find this. A long crosscut adit on a north-south cross-course was driven from in the 18th century, presumably with the aim of draining the lode. This may imply that there was an earlier working which needed draining, although no surface traces are visible here and the overlying boulder clay is at least 3m thick.

Lode 9 - Possibly part of Providence Copper Work, later George & Charlotte North Lode

NGR:

Part of Providence Copper Work 1718, Possibly George & Charlotte North Lode 1821. Worked with George & Charlotte until 1869. A series of short water-filled openworks on the southern edge of a rock outcrop beside a shallow valley below Lower Sheepridge Farm. The valley alongside has been partly infilled with dump material which implies larger workings than those currently visible.

East of Sheepridge Wood, many linear surface disturbances on the 1946 RAF APs indicate large outcrop workings continuing into the sett of William & Mary Mine, which worked the same lode. The large number of shafts on this mine indicates an early working, probably representing several entry points into a long stope (see Wheal Crowndale, Lode 24). Lodeback workings continue for a short distance into Point Wood on the opposite bank of the Tavy.

Lode 10 a/b/c - Possibly worked from 1566, see below

The alignments of these three workings appear to coincide, suggesting that they are on the same lode.
a - Unknown, probably Canal Co. 1816-21
b - Good Luck copper work, 1718
c - Morwellham Parks Tinwork 1566, 1578; Christian-Ann Copper Work 1718, 1724, 1743; name unknown in 1840s-50s

They may have been jointly worked as George & Charlotte North Lode in 1816-21 (CCCR) and again in the 1840s-50s.

Lode 10a - Name & date unknown, no documentation

NGR:

A short line of lodeback pits or trenches observed on the hillside just east of the Canal Tunnel's southern portal (1946 RAF APs). Almost certainly worked by the Tavistock Canal Company in 1816-21, when a cross-cut adit was driven to intersect it from the north-west.

Lode 10b - Good Luck Copper Work

NGR:

Recorded in a lease of 1718 (DRO) as the Good Luck Copper Work, and worked on in a westerly direction from the medieval Lobscombe road into Waterhall Wood, with a short gunnis on a 45 degree northerly underlie. Overburden has been removed for some distance further west and faint traces of lodeback pits continue as far as a large pit alongside the Tavistock Canal Inclined Plane 200m to the west. This was probably dug on the back of the lode when it was found during the incline's construction in 1816 (CCCR). An adjoining leat channel respects the pit.

Lode 10c - Morwellham Parks Tinwork, Christian Ann Copper Work

NGR:

Probably Morwellham Parks Tinwork; 1566, 1578; Christian-Ann copper work 1718, 1724, 1743 (leases in DRO)

A series of largely infilled lodeback pits are visible on a SSW to NNE alignment up a gently sloping field above the Tamar river cliff; in an area formerly occupied by Bellcamore Wood. The largest of these pits extends out to the upper edge of the river cliff, possibly being an 'open level' or trench for taking off water from the workings. Traces of an infilled openwork run down the rivercliff, including two water-filled cavities, the lower of which has the appearance of an adit. This is partly infilled by the Duke of Bedford's Endsleigh Drive of 1813 which clearly postdates it. Two possible costeaning trenches are faintly visible just north-west of Morwellham Farm, in the position that the lode would have been intersected by a known cross-course.

A C18 or earlier leat taken from Lobscombe in the vicinity of Lode 10b has been traced as far as , but this may have continued further west to serve the main working at 10c.