More information : The remains of a copper mine complex in Higher Mines wood are centred at SS 7451 3369, and cover an area of 1.4 ha. They lie mostly in deciduous woodland on the north-west and west-facing valley slopes of a tributary of the River Mole.
The remains consist of a number of shafts and pits, a possible building, leats and a wheel pit. The site has been confused by the construction of a massive cut into the natural hillside to facilitate access to forestry plantations. This operation has destroyed the principle processing areas and has resulted in material being pushed over and largely obscuring the wheel pit. At SS 7449 3356 are the remains of a possible building. The structure measures 4.2m by 1.5m internally and has walls 1m wide and 0.6m high. It is cut slightly into the natural slope on the east side.
At SS 7457 3355 are the remains of an arched opening, largely obscured by dumping, which represents the end of a wheel pit. The remainder of the stucture has been totally lost beneath the dump. Nevertheless a rectangular structure approximately 18m in length is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 25" mapping of 1889.
The leats approach the mine complex from the north-west. Two principal leats exist, the lower one now being cut obliquely by the modern road. They are 1.2m in width and have been cut 0.9m into the natural slope. Both are now truncated by the modern forestry cutting at their south-east end. The upper leat is joined by a third channel flowing north-westwards. It is not clear how this functioned, but it may have collected surface run-off from the steep valley sides and channelled it into the upper leat. Three principal shafts survive at SS 7448 3358, SS 7453 3355 and at SS 7452 3358. A fourth shaft, at SS 7454 3359, has now been destroyed by the later forestry cutting and platform.
Surveyed at 1:2500, March 12th 1993. (1-2)
Copper mine of the 1840s reopened as a gold mine (Britannia Gold Mine) from 1852-4. (3) |