A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
June 28, 2025
Cholake and Rue Lake Streamworks and Openworks
Virtually all Dartmoor valleys containing rivers and their tributaries (streams, brooks and lakes) have traces of the endeavours of tinners’ who were in search of their precious ore. The Dartmoor National Park factsheet informs us that “The earliest form of extraction was by streaming – taking alluvial tin from the stream and river beds. The first written record of tin streaming dates back to the 12th century. Evidence of these early workings can be seen in most river valleys as heaps of rubble and waste”. Tin extraction, however, probably dates to the Bronze Age but there is no documented records of this.
The two small valleys around Cholake and Rue Lake, in the Dartmoor Central Basin between the West Dart and the Swincombe, are testament to this earlier ore extraction through tinstreaming. The valleys also shows evidence of the next known ore extraction process which was a form of open-cast mining: working on the backs of a naturally occurring band (vein) of ore, the tinners’ used water directed over the desired area to remove the lighter waste. It was during this later method that Tinners’ Buildings were known to have been constructed.
This post considers the exploits of the tinners’ at these two water courses and explores the immediate environs which contains some interesting historical artefacts
Bibliography
Dartmoor National Park – Dartmoor’s Past Tin Industry – Dartmoor Factsheet (September 2004) – TIN INDUSTRY FACTSHEET -web.qxd
S. A. J. Probert – Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, (1987-1993), Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, (Report – Survey). SDV350839.
Jeremy Butler (1993), Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four – The South-East, 229-230, Map 65, Figures 65.3 & 65.3.1 (Monograph). SDV337765.
Sketch map of the area covered in this post. The route taken was from Princetown to Conchies Road and the footpaths beyond to visit the streamworks and openworks at Cholake and Rue LakeThis track was built by World War I conscientious objectors and is known as ‘Conchie’s Road’. It provides easy walking from Princetown to Cholake with its streamworks, thence onwards to Rue Lake. As can be seen from the photograph, the track is ‘dead-straight’ for a long stretch below Royal Hill. It is an embanked track measured as being 8.8m wide and has a crude, eroded boulder and stone surface. The track partially overlies the former Tavistock-Ashburton pack-horse track (Picture courtesy of Lynn Clynch)Robert Burnard (Dartmoor Explorations Committee) recorded in 1890 that this cist was known as “Crock of Gold”, a name still used in the 21st century. He states that the cist was “surrounded by the remains of a 10 ft diameter cairn circle (Plan)”. Burnard commented that the circle was “fairly well preserved” and there were “distinct remains of a barrow”. He also recorded that Its cover-stone has been displacedFast forward just over 100 years after Burnard’s comments, Jeremy Butler in 1993, in his fabulous Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four – The South-East, records the ‘Crock of Gold’ as: “4.0 metres diameter by 0.3 metres high with a small cist that has been cleared out sometime in the past, with capstone lying to one side but with side and end slabs still in place. Five stones of the kerb retaining circle of circa 4.0 metres diameter which originally edged the mound”. The cist is located at SX61281 73067Travelling in an easterly direction along Conchies Road, the upper reaches of the Cholake streamworks and openworks come into view under the northern flanks of Royal HillStart of the Cholake openworks above Cholake Head as viewed from Conchie’s RoadThere are two small reservoir dams recorded here which retained water for the openworksThe openworks lying between Conchie’s Road and Royal Hill run from approx SX6128 7297 through to SX6175 7296. There is a notable 3m deep openwork centred at SX6175 7296To the south of Conchie’s Road and below Cholake Head the streamworks run from approx SX6187 7315 through to SX6181 7344Ford just below Cholake Head and Conchie’s RoadPart of the tinners’ workings between Conchie’s and West Dart River, near where a Tinners’ Building has been recorded (ref: Fletcher, Greeves and Radcliffe). The description (by Fletcher) of the Tinners’ Building location is that: “It is set into a spoil heap in the valley floor with washed material dumped against the S and W sides” The Fletcher description of the Tinners’ Building continues: “It is rhomboidal in shape with sides 4.8m, 4.6m, 2.8m & 2.2m long comprising walling of crudely coursed rough boulders retaining the spoil, except on the N side. Here a freestanding wall up to four courses high is 0.8m tall & 0.5m wide”. The area shown in the photograph possibly fits this description and is at SX61829 73077 , which is slightly out from the Fletcher grid reference of SX6184 7305Dr Tom Greeves description of the Tinners’ Building location is: “…set into waste heap on south and west sides on west bank of Cholake. Quite extensive streamworking to south including parallel ridges of waste. Maximum height of walls approximately 0.70m”. The photograph above was taken showing this possible site. The grid reference is SX61834 73053, which is only 6m away from the Fletcher grid reference of SX 6184 7305This close up of the second possible locations for the Cholake Tinners’ Building is the authors most likely, bugt there is a third possible location. Bill Radcliffe on behalf of the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group (DTRG) website but gives a grid reference of SX61848 73065, over 14 metres away. Given that the Tinners’ Building here is not obvious despite the descriptions and grid references, the author recommends that any visitor to the area make up their own mindThe Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group (Bill Radcliffe) identified site for the Cholake Tinners’ BuildingCholake tinners’ workings looking south towards Conchie’s RoadOnto Rue Lake. The picture is a view of Rue Lake being approached from the east. Note the two small woods around Moorlands Farm (left) and to the south west of Prince Hall (right) on the horizon. Descending the path to Rue Lake Ford. Fletcher records that there are “extensive streamworkings” here which “occupy the valley and upper reaches of the Rue Lake stream”. Fletchers interpretation continues: “They extend from its junction with the West Dart River at SX6330 7335 to sources of the stream at SX6258 7320 and SX6273 7295. Spoil-heaps, minor dams and deep diversion channels are everywhere visible indicating intensive tin streaming activity”.Rue Lake Ford and Clapper at SX63046 73335Rue Lake Clapper is one of over 100 across the National Park. This one, however, does not appear on maps and does not appear to have any historical significanceDr Tom Greeves in October 1996 recorded this “rectangular structure on left bank of lake about 30m below ford and a probable Tinners’ building”. It is located at SX63037 73373Dr Tom Greeves continued: “Set into scarp. Probable tinners’ building, pre-c.1700. Orientated n-s. Entrance in middle of e side. Not recorded by OS”Near Rue Lake. Layland Branfield of Moorlands Farm (during a Princetown History Group trip) atop a structure known as ‘The Divides’. It is built of shuttered concrete and small granite stones and comprises two short walls extending at an angle of approximately 145 degrees to each other facing Princetown and Little Newtake Plantation / Outer Newtake Plantation (near Brimpts Farm) the two ends of an Aerial Ropeway built around 1917 to transport logs in support of the war effort. The system only lasted for a few years probably from 1917 through to 1919 or 1920. More information can be found here: The West Dart Aerial Ropeway – (aka The Brimpts to Princetown Aerial Ropeway) – Dartmoor Explorations
