Dear List,

Following the thread of the above over the last days, I spent over 3 years searching the hills around Combe Martin in North Devon for the slightest sign of bole sites, but alas, not a sniff. 19th century mine waste, and intensive agriculture/horticulture on the valley slopes has removed every possible trace.

Imagine my total and utter dismay this week in witnessing a High-Mac Digger with a huge 5ft wide bucket sweep away a bole in one great jaw grabbing lunge in 10 seconds flat. I just stood there and wept in disbelief!

All I was able to salvage were a few lumps of blackwork, a plastic bag of charcoal and samples of burnt soil and stone, and the lurid oaths of a digger driver who made it very clear I was an unwelcome guest.

It turned out that these major engineering works in providing a new access road to a private property had not gained planning permission, or had requested the stopping of a public footpath which was completely blocked. No wonder I was not welcome.

After reporting the matter to the County Archaeologist, it took me 4 days to raise anyone in the Planning Department, and by then the site was one of total and complete destruction. It has been a lousy week!

The site is situated on the 50m contour level on a small knoll facing South West and adjacent to what I believe to be a very early mining trench.

The only consolation during the week has been that these major engineering works demolished up to 20m of the east facing wall of the trench revealing in cross section the early works which are now hidden behind early 19th cen. walling.

The sloping cut stone sides of the trench were backfilled behind the walling with hundreds of pottery sherds and mine waste, much of it containing galena.

The early 19th cen. miners had possibly followed an earlier tradition in securing the sides of the trench by this method, as at a depth of 8m, much earlier walling became obvious with sherds of medieval pottery in context. Also large quantities of animal bones.

So, despite those years of unfruitful search, I now now that the remains of boles do exist, but how to find them without the total destruction I witnessed this week?

Regards,

Trevor.