Near to the Village of Postbridge in the centre of Dartmoor lies Powdermills. This was a factory built in 1844 for making gunpowder. Gunpowder was needed for the tin mines and granite quarries then in operation on the moor. The buildings were widely spaced from one another for safety and a leat provided the power to drive the tools.There are plenty of remains of this factory still visible. Two chimneys still stand and two incorporating mill buildings also survive: These were built with thick walls but flimsy roofs so that in the event of an explosion, the force of the blast would be directed safely upwards. The ruins of a number of ancillary buildings also survive. Powdermills is now a pottery place, with a bunkhouse and tea room, far removed from its original purpose.