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CLICK HERE TO SEE BIRCH TOR & VITIFER MINE IN THE 1970s and 80s
  1. Industrial Archaeology
  2. Mines of Cornwall & Devon

Birch Tor and Vitifer Mine

Birch Tor and Vitifer Mine is located in the valley of the Redwater Brook, to the east of the B3212 Moretonhampstead to Princetown road, below the Warren House Inn, the mine was worked between the mid–18th century and 1925.

This area has been mined and worked as an open cast since medieval times. Birch Tor mine on the eastern side of the Redwater Brook valley and Vitifer mine on the west were separate mines, but for most of their working lives they were operated under the same management and were amalgamated in 1845.
Underground mining ceased around 1925 though sporadic working of the dumps continued until around 1938/9.
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  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View from the mine track towards the Warren House Inn. Once a popular pub for the miners that worked the local tin mines. Although the inn stands in isolation today there were once a number of dwellings in the area lived in by workers at the mine.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View from the mine access track towards Birch Tor.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Approaching the mine site from the access track. The mine site lies below Birch Tor. Towards the bottom right by the tree can be seen some of the masonry remains of the Carpenter's Shop. The stone walls demark fields associated with the Mine Manager's House which stood to the right of the wall just off the centre of the photograph.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View across the site. The mine managers house would have stood near where the clear area of grass can be seen towards the centre of the photograph.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Draining mine water

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Open shaft at Vitifer - possibly Engine Shaft?

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Draining mine water

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    This fenced off area with sign proclaiming deep water is believed to be the site of the 40 foot waterwheel that pumped out the lower Birch Tor workings.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Stone wall of unknown use.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Much of the Vitifer site is rather overgrown especially in the summer months.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Looking up the valley.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Stone field boundaries associated with the mine managers house and miners bunk house which were located to the right of the photograph.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Site of the miners' bunk house left and beyond the site of the Mine Captain's House.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Site of the Mine Captain's House.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Site of the Mine Captain's House.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Cast iron pump main used as a drain under the track around the site of the dressing floors.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    The mine carpenter's shop.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View to Birch Tor the miners' bunk house and mine captain's house was located towards the centre of the picture where the masonry footings can still be seen.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Sheep stand above the walls of the Miners' Dry and mine smithy buildings.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View through the miners' dry and smithy building footings.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    View to the remains of the carpenter's shop.

  • Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    Birch Tor and Vitifer Tine Mine, Dartmoor, Devon - September 07, 2020

    A metal fixing near the base of the miners' dry stack which can just be seen to the left.

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