Dear Lynne,
 
This drawing is very interesting, as it seems to be extremely accurate - are there any more of them?  I think you are right, in that its the only picture of a lead mine in SW England, though other list members may know differently.  The gradient tramway appears to be entering the upper floor of the crusher house (compare redrawing of C19 AMR section on page 67 of Harris) and presumably had a haulage system.  This is perfectly feasible as the wagon in the foreground is right on the cobbing floor.  I think the trestle in the middle ground is for a tramway which allowed wagons to drop their undressed ore direct onto the cobbing floor, as two heaps are visible under it; I would assume that is what is happening in the background too.  The sequence working face - surface - cobbing floor - mechanical crusher would appear to be followed as was usual.  The shed in the left foreground is very reminiscent of open-sided cobbing sheds at Wheal Crebor (copper) on C19 maps, which also have tramways passing through them.
 
From recollection of the site, the crusher house survives to about half-height, with some timbers of its internal frame sticking out of the rubble filling its ruin.  The pumping engine house and its chimney are ivy-mantled ruins, but I can't remember what state the winding house is in (its not shown on the AMR section reproduced in Harris).  The whole site is very overgrown, but unless things have changed since I was last there about 25 years ago, I would have thought you would still be able to work out what is going on.  The linear arrangement of the buildings is reminiscent of the only other Devon lead mine I am acquanited with, at Boringdon Park near Plympton.  I surveyed this some years ago when I scheduled it for English Heritage - I'll send you a copy if you like.
Hope this is of some use, I would like to see the complete Foot drawing at some point, and any others which may exist.  Could you email a jpeg offlist?
 
Robert Waterhouse
 
> Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:44:15 +0100> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Silverbrook Mine Drawing> To: [log in to unmask]> > I have just ordered a copy of Frederick Foot's drawing of Silverbrook Lead Mine as shown in Industrial Archeology of Dartmoor (Helen Harris) p. 36. The image in the book omits an inch or two all round plus much detail including about 9 bal maidens, and a cart plus two men exteme centre right. I am finding it difficult to follow the sequence of dressing events from the picture. Lead doles appear to end up behind picking + cobbing shed (?) centre L in front of smithy + counthouse? Ragging + spalling appears to take place in front of the winding shaft retaining wall. What puzzles me is the gradient tramway in front of picture, plus waggons tipping out to doles straight from below ground? Or have these waggons been brought the long way around from the dressing floor (complete loop not visible in picture)? Assume some sort of driving rods running out to shed? Or is it a launder? This picture is the only contemporary drawing (or photograph) I have found of the lead dressing process in the south west, unless anyone else knows better. I would be grateful for any help. (Original with Torquay Museum)> > Thanks.> > Lynne Mayers
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