Devon Poldice (aka Walkham United)

The 19th century mine called Devon Poldice, which later in the century became Walkham United, is located to the west of Gem viaduct alongside the River Walkham and up the adjacent steep slopes of the south end of Sticklepath Wood. In the vicinity of the 19th century mine operations are two deep, rock-cut Openworks / Gunnis’ to the west. These earlier workings are late medieval (or earlier) and were a draw for the ‘modern’ prospectors who were looking to profit from the earlier exploits of the ‘old men’.

The earliest documented evidence of the mine appears to when it was called East Poldice Mine in the parish of Buckland as recorded by Lysons (Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire (1822). The mine, referred to by Lysons stated it was abandoned after 1815 and this would have been before 1822 when the document was published. It is possible that the mine re-opened in 1825, as it is claimed in that year a leat was cut to ‘Poldice Mine’ (Dickinson). No documented information has been found about the mine until it is referred to in January 1860 when it was recorded as ‘Devon Poldice’ in the Devonport Journal. The paper published the following: “The present high price of tin have induced the proprietors of this sett to employ some experienced tinners, to explore the old workings”.

The recorded production figures from 1860 were: 4¾ tons of black tin for £396.9s.4d (or equivalent to over £60,000 in 2026). In 1861, as recorded in the Cornwall and Devon Mining Directory by Williams, the mine was said to be 20 fathoms deep employing 20 persons. Devon Poldice was thought to have been incorporated into a new sett called Walkham and Poldice in the 1860s which included more land near Grenofen Bridge. The mine was recorded as abandoned about 1866, and materials still remained unsold in 1868. That said, the mine was said to be ‘at work’ in 1875 (ref: Brook Index), when it sold 5 tons 11 cwts. 2 qrs. 13lbs. of black tin for £266.10s.0d (or equivalent of nearly £75,000 in 2026)

The mine became part of the Walkham United in 1881, when Walkham and Poldice (at both the Gem viaduct and the Grenofen Bridge locations) was renamed – this new name is shown on OS maps of that period. In 1881, 1.5 tons of tin was sold valued at £65 12s. 6d (or equivalent to nearly £16,000 in 2026). The Walkham United operation was short lived and was recorded a year later in the Tavistock Gazette (August 1882) and London Gazette (September 1882) as being wound up on 4th August 1882. This appears to be the date when the mine finally closed.

The 1884 OS map shows the mine had; shafts, a leat, various structures including a stamping mill and a burning house, four round buddles and a spoil heap. Most of these features have been recorded in this post as is additional information on recorded production (Burt, Hunt and Dines).

Bibliography

1. M.G. Dickinson – (1975) – ‘Dartmoor Mining Leats, 1786-1836’
2. Devonport Journal – 5th January 1860
3. Tavistock Gazette – 2nd December 1881, 4th August 1882 & 10th September 1886
4. London Gazette – 15th September 1882
5. London Gazette – 7th March 1913
6. Brooke Index – Buckland Monachorum Parish
7. C.F. Barclay – (2004) – Mines of the Tamar & Tavy: A Collection of C.F. Barclay’s Mine Reports
8. Hunt’s Mining Stats – (1866-67)
9. Roger Burt, Ray Burnley and Peter Waite – (1984) – The Devon and Somerset Mines: (Mineral Statistics Of The United Kingdom, 1845-1913)
10. Phil Newman – (2011) – Mining in the Tavy Valley, West Devon: An Assessment of Archaeological Potential
11. Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons – (1822) – Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire – Page 312
12. J. Williams – (1861 & 1862) – Cornwall and Devon Mining Directory. Hayle: Banfield
13. H.G. Dines – (1956) – The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England, page 695
14. Stephen Holley – (2026) – Pers. Conv.
15. Dartmoor Chris – (2026) – Pers. Conv.