Nun’s Cross Mine

Tin works around the Nun’s Cross area appear to have been first documented in the late 16th and early 17th centuries being known as ‘Westernun’ and ‘Easternun’, adjacent to another tinworks called Shurburne by the Cross of St. Siward (Nun’s Cross) as referenced in a document 1343, found in Exeter City Library in 1957. It is likely that these tinworks (the document dates from 1611) relate to the alluvial and / or open works seen today, especially those to the west / north west of the cross. Additionally to this, at ‘Westernun’, a DTRG article written by Dr Tom Greeves in 2020, records a dispute between Peter Woodley of Ashburton and William Stockman of Sheepstor over non-payment of wages for ‘wash or delivery’ of tin at the tinwork, which reached the Court of Star Chamber in 1608.

Fast forward to early 19th century, the ‘Wheal Chance & Nuns’ mine is documented as beginning in April 1806 and stated to be ‘raising ore’. Further documents for the mine are dated up to 1812. The ‘Nun’s Mine’ part of the venture shown on maps as being south-west of the western Devonport Leat tunnel exit according to a map from 1873. This mine is likely to have been around where ‘Westernun’ was referred to 200 years prior.

By the second half of the 19th century, the ‘Nun’s Cross Mine’ operation appears to have shifted to the east, closer to the cross. A mining sett was granted and was stated to contain three east-west tin lodes and two caunter lodes, ‘all of which showed signs of having been extensively developed on the backs of the old men’. Between 1862 and 1864, exploratory work was carried out on these lodes by a small cost-book company called Nun’s Cross Tin Mine. Two long cross-cut adits were driven at shallow depths, whilst on one of the caunter lodes* a third adit was dug – all seemingly carrying ‘fair values of tin’. During this time ventilation shafts were sunk to the adits and a main shaft (Dawe’s) was sunk in June 1863. Access to the adits and the shafts was also secured by using the Devonport Leat tunnel. Operations seemed to have ceased before the end of 1864 without recorded production. This post contains maps and photographs, which relate to the 19th century operations.

*Caunter being a term that refers to a lode that runs at an offset angle to the main lode

Bibliography

Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group – (2020) – Newsletter, number 59
A.K. Hamilton Jenkin – (2005) – Mines of Devon, page 49
H.G. Dines – (1956) – The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England, page 731
Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons – (1822) – Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire – Page 312
Mining Journals – No.1388. Saturday 29^th March 1862; No.1394. Saturday 10^th May 1862; No.1405. Saturday 26^th July 1862; No.1451. Saturday 13^th June 1863; No.1502. Saturday 4^th June 1864; No.1511. Saturday 6^th August 1864
Exeter City Library – (1957) – Document 1343
DRO Exeter – Lysons 1822 p. cclxxxi. M.G. Dickinson 1974 (ex Bastard v. Carey papers)
Mike Brown – (1999) – Field Guide to Dartmoor; Volume 15 – The Middle Plym & Tributaries Eylesbarrow Nuns Cross, page 14
Eric Hemery – (1983) – High Dartmoor, page 138
Dr Tom Greeves – (2026) – Pers. Conv.
Dartmoor Chris – (2026) – Pers. Conv.

0. Woods Map — Snippet of William Woods Map of 1850s showing the location of Nun’s Mine just south of Siwards / Syward’s Cross. This provides an interesting timeline as there was quite significant activity at the mine in the 1860s, clearly the map indicates there was activity here before that.

1a. Tinners' Workings north of Nun's Cross — There are several tin openworks and pitworks on the slopes of Chants Hill or Chance Hill, north west of Nuns Cross. These pits are mostly oriented west-south-west to east-north-east following the predominant direction of the lodes. They are likely to be post-medieval in date though some may well be earlier. The directions of these pits are more or less repeated at the main shafts from the 1860s part of Nun’s Cross Mine.

1b. Nun's Cross — Nun’s Cross (aka Siward’s or Syward’s Cross) from which the mine took its name. The ancient name of Siward’s Cross (Latin: Crucem Sywardii) was quoted in the 1240 perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor documents. Note the ‘mounds’ behind the cross, which are the earth upthrust from shafts from the 1860s part of the mine

2. LiDAR Map — This annotated LiDAR map shows the extent of the mine as described by entries in Dines (1956) and the Mining Journal from 1862-1864. That said, the Dines entry (which is repeated in Eric Hemery’s ‘High Dartmoor’ on page 138) of a SE level being driven 300 fathoms to under Nun’s Cross Ford and beyond is highly implausible due to the terrain, its length and timeline – plus one would have expected this to have been recorded elsewhere (e.g Mining Journal). Note: The author will be researching some Maristow Papers soon to see plans and records of the mine and compare them with this LiDAR interpretation

2. Tinners Building Foundations in Workings a — This rectangular ‘cut-out’ is the stone foundations of a small structure adjacent to the south side of some deep tin pits. This is located at **SX60416 69978**

2. Tinners Building Foundations in Workings b — The rectangular footprint measures 3.6m by 7.5m and the walls are 0.4m wide and stand to just above the ground. The structure almost certainly to have been associated with the tinworking activity, and possibly was used in conjunction with Nun’s Cross Mine nearby. The pits may have been from an earlier period than the structure

2a. Mine timeline — Nun’s Cross Mine timeline from early 17th to mid-19th centuries with documentary evidence obtained by the author (thusfar). The last records for Nun’s Cross Mine were from between 1862-1864, which are recorded later in this post

2a. Woodley - Stockman dispute — This extract from the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group (DTRG) newsletter (59) from 2020, details the dispute between Peter Woodley and William Stockman which reached the Star Chamber in 1608. It relates to the ‘Westernun’ workings. The author is grateful to Dr Tom Greeves for pointing him in the direction of this information

2b. Early Mine from 1806 — 1873 Map and comparable LiDAR plot showing Wheal Chance and Nun’s Cross Mine. The authors interpretation is that in the early years of the 19th century (circa 1806-1812), the valley to the west of Devonport leat tunnel exit comprised Wheal Chance to the north and Nun’s Cross Mine to the south. By mid 19th century Nun’s Cross Mine was further east, near Siward’s Cross

2b. Early MIne from 1806 b — Devonport Leat just after the westerly tunnel exit. This valley (and below towards Newleycombe Lake) would be where the early 19th century Wheal Chance and Nun’s Cross Mine were located

2c. Lysons — Extract from Lysons Magna Brittania, indicating that Nuns Mine had closed by 1810, albeit there is other documentation which refer to the mine circa 1812

2d. Mine timeline — Nun’s Cross Mine timeline from 1860’s with information from the Mining Journal and Dines. No production figures were ever recorded and one assumes the 1860’s venture had been closed down by the end of 1864.

2f. Dines — The above is an extract from **H.G. Dines** (1956); ‘The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England’, page 731. It indicates that there was a Shaft (Dawe’s) which was sunk 100 yds S.W of the ancient (Siward’s) cross. There is a record in **Hamilton-Jenkin’s** ‘Mine’s of Devon’, suggesting a shaft was sunk in June 1863. One suspects, Hamilton-Jenkin obtained his information from the **Mining Journal**; No.1451. Saturday 13^th June 1863, which records the same. As there are are 6 shafts at a distance of approx. 100yds+ from south to south west from the cross, the record seems to be robust. That said, the (Dine’s) record adds that a level was driven from it for 300 fathoms and passes beneath Nun’s Cross Ford – the author believes this is very implausible.

3. Finding Dawes Shaft — The 6 shafts to the south and south west of Siward’s Cross. The author speculates that Shaft ‘3’ was Dawe’s Shaft and the others are merely trial shafts or air shafts reaching the adit level below. The author has been shown an underground plan of Devonport Leat Tunnel and the Adit level from Nun’s Cross Mine (not for publication), which clearly indicates that access to the lode was obtained either from the surface (via these shafts) or through the leat tunnel. Any ore would have come to the surface via Dawe’s Shaft in all probability

3a. Shaft 1 — Shaft 1 at **SX60492 69833** with Nun’s Cross Farm behind. The original farm circa 1871 and the more modern farmhouse (in picture) from 1901 were not there when the 1860’s shafts were sunk. The circle of stones mark the shaft and most likely represent where the shaft was capped.

3b. Shaft 2a — Shaft 2 at **SX60460 69847**. The wall may not have been here when the shaft was sunk and most likely was built by John Hooper, who enclosed the land at Nun’s Cross Farm in 1871.

3b. Shaft 2b — Shaft 2 was most likely an air shaft. Note the fir trees from Nun’s Cross Farm.

3c. Dawe's Shaft a — Shaft 3 (as shown on annotated LiDAR plot) was most likely Dawe’s Shaft, based on distance / direction from Siward’s cross as described in Dines plus it is the shaft here with the most earth upthrust. The shaft appears to be marked by a circle of stones with a (probable) whim plat a short distance to the north (reedy area to the right of the photograph)

3d. Dawe's Shaft b — The authors interpretation of the location of Dawe’s Shaft and the probable Whim Plat

3e. Dawe's Shaft c1 — Sketch map of what a simple shaft headgear and horse drawn whim may have looked like in the 19th century

3e. Dawe's Shaft c2 — The headgear / horse drawn whim sketch overlaid onto a modern (February 2026) photograph

3f. Dawe's Shaft to Nun's Cross — Dawe’s Shaft is located at **SX60422 69856**

3g. Dawe's Shaft to Nun's Cross — Top of Dawe’s Shaft ‘earth upthrust’ looking north east (ish) towards Siward’s cross

3h. The Shaft — Close up of the capped Dawe’s Shaft

3i. The Whim Plat — The (probable) Whim Plat in the reedy area, middle left of the photograph

3j. The Upthrust — The ‘earth upthrust’ of Dawe’s Shaft as viewed from the west. It is over 2m high

This Youtube video, shows two explorers recording the Devonport Leat tunnel and the interconnecting adit levels of Nun’s Cross mine dating to 1862-64. Devonport Leat was constructed from 1795-1802 to supply water to Plymouth Dock (known as Devonport after 1824). Being (slightly) pedantic, the Youtube title is slightly misleading including as it does the word ‘Medieval’. Nevertheless, it is quite a good video showing the underground workings: Exploring a Secret Tunnel Beneath Dartmoor – Medieval Mine Found!