Yew trees are usually/often found appear in Churchyards NOT I understand for
any religious significance but because they are poisonous to most animals.
Whether this is by default because they were removed from other places (i.e.
to prevent sheep etc eating the berries) or whether they were deliberately
put in churchyards to deter animals grazing there seems to be a matter of
opinion. The existence of them on your shafts may similarly be as a
deterrent or simply because they are on waste land.
My experience of excavation on industrial heritage sites is that trees & in
particular roots are a good indication of where to dig as they follow edges
of walls and grow well in pits and other such voids where the roots are less
hampered by the walls themselves.
Incidentally Coalpit Heath Colliery worked the "Hollybush Vein" (among
others)
Regards
David
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
NEWMAN, Phil
Sent: 26 January 2009 14:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MINING-HISTORY] Matters vegetable
Hi Rick,
In 2003 a colleague and I were surveying a series of pit workings and
shallow shafts in Cleeve Wood in the Mendips. I think the workings were
associated with either lead or calamine, but I'm not certain. It was notable
that a large number of the shafts had yew trees either growing from the wall
of the shaft or the spoil heap immediately adjacent to the lip of the shaft.
As there were very few yews in the wood that were not associated with shafts
in a mostly deciduous woodland, we concluded that they must have been
deliberately planted in the shafts by someone. Some were quite large trees.
We were greatly puzzled by this at the time but you might just be on to
something here.
Regards
Phil
Phil Newman
Archaeological Survey & Investigation Team (Exeter)
English Heritage
5 Marlborough Court, Manaton Close
Matford
Exeter, EX2 8PF
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Rick Stewart, Morwellham Quay Mine Manager
Sent: 26 January 2009 12:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Matters vegetable
Yesterday whilst leading a walk at Devon Great Consols I made mention of the
practice of planting holy bushes to mark shafts and the belief that this was
meant to keep the devil in his proper place. One of the people on the walk
suggested that in addition to planting holy bushes miners, on abandoning a
working would plant specific plants in the vicinity of a lode to let future
generations of miners know what was there, different plants being used to
indicate different minerals.
Can anyone expand on this.
Rick Stewart
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