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Summary

Also known as Copper Hill, Great Copper Hill and Mid Devon Mine. Work started in 1829 under the name Sticklepath Hill Mine but there was a break in production before Copper Hill got started in the mid-19th century. Incorporated Ivy Tor Mine in 1866 and in the late 19th century installed the largest waterwheel on mainland Britain. Worked ceased around 1891.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1461693
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX69SW161
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/12
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/47

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COPPER MINE (First mentioned, XIX - 1829 AD (Between) to 1891 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, A building at Skaigh (Belstone Consols Mine) (Photograph). SDV222563.

A photograph (no date) shows "a building at skaigh" reputed to have been used in pumping water from Belstone Consols.

Ormerod, G. W., 1867, Notes on the Carboniferous Beds adjoining the northern edge of the Granite of Dartmoor, 125-126 (Article in Serial). SDV227353.

Copper Hill mine now united with Ivy Tor, forming Belstone Consols on the River Tavy.
A vein of garnet at least 180 feet thick crosses the works at Coppper Hill (east-west), with lodes of copper on both sides and the copper is mixed with garnet.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Mid Devon Mine depicted on the historic map.

Ramsden, J. V., 1952, Notes on the Mines of Devonshire, 89, 92, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV60737.

Also known as Emily, Alfred. Plan 2861 M. R. O. Cooper and arsenic. C22 Copper hill, copper; see Belstone.

Beer, P., 1972, 16th report of the Geological Section, 206 (Article in Serial). SDV60681.

Belstone Consols Mine at Greenhill. Dumps composed of green garnet mined from the same horizon as occurred at Ramsley Mine.

Burt, R. + Waite, P. + Burnley, R., 1984, Devon and Somerset Mines, 10-11 (Article in Serial). SDV347761.

Details of output and employees from 1867-1890.

Hedley, L. and Cranstone, D., 1995, Monuments Protection Programme, Zink, Copper, Minor Metals, Step Three: The Copper Industry, Introduction to Step 3 Assessments, Devon 7 (Report - non-specific). SDV357718.

SX 6329 9390 Belstone Consols Mine. Remains of a 19th century copper mine at Sticklepath with the largest wheelpit in England. This has partly been demolished and infilled.

Hamilton Jenkin, Dr. A. K., 2005, Mines of Devon, 102-3 (Monograph). SDV282410.

Belstone Consols sett incorporated the farm of Greenhill. Work was originally started in 1829 under the name of Sticklepath Hill Mine when a local company of mainly farmers, drove an adit which intersected several favourable copper lodes. 38 tons of ore were returned and a winze put down but a lack of funds to purchase machinery caused the project to be abandoned.
At a later date the sett was renamed Copper Hill and by 1865 four mineralised beds, locally named lodes, were being developed. In 1866, the mine incorporated the nearby Ivy Tor mine and production at Copper Hill continued well until 1878 when a breakdown in the pumping machinery caused the property to be transferred to the Mid Devon Mining Company. After this it became known as the Great Copper Hill Mine and a huge 70 foot diameter waterwheel (largest ever erected on mainland Britain) was erected to drain the mine. The pit in which the wheel turned is still visible just below Higher Sticklepath.
To drive the water wheel, water was taken off the river near Birchy Lake, and carried via leat and aqueduct to the wheel.
Operations at the mine eventually ceased in 1891.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Area of the mine as depicted on the late 19th century historic map can be traced on the modern map.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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