Journal 22.
Downloaded from the Council for British Archaeology (South-West) website.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/

The topography of the Combe Martin valley in 2008 offers little insight into its past industrial heritage other than a medieval agricultural background of well preserved fossilized medieval strip fields and burgage plots1. This North Devon landscape has healed from the scars of past industrial activity.

limestone quarries and 19 lime kilns2, whilst the north side, on the slates, the valley slopes bore evidence of intermittent silver/lead mining and smelting from the 13th to the 19th century3. This latter industry was very much of a \u2018boom and bust\u2019 nature4.

Unlike other villages around Exmoor5, there was no documentary evidence to suggest the presence of fulling mills in Combe Martin, although research on early field names told another story. The names \u2018Hemp Hay\u2019, \u2018Flax Hay\u2019 and \u2018Rack Park\u2019 were discovered, the

1 Dunkerley T, 2005
2Devon Historic Environment Record
3 Paynter, S, Dunkerley, T, and Claughton, P, 2003
4 Claughton, P, 1989
5 Gillard, J M, 2002

Journal 22.
Downloaded from the Council for British Archaeology (South-West) website.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/

Journal 22.
Downloaded from the Council for British Archaeology (South-West) website.
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/

former two being in much abundance6. This raised the question of whether major industries of rope, sailcloth and wool production in the village had been overshadowed during the medieval and post medieval periods by the \u2018romance\u2019 of silver production, with knowledge of these former industries lost to memory and record. Archaeological excavation has suggested this to be the case.

Excavation commenced in 2003 on a site which had purported to be the mill pond of a silver/lead mining complex. Documentary evidence revealed the purchase of an iron water- wheel at the beginning of the 19th century to pump water from the mines being driven by