The last time that Hades Caving Club went to Bulkamore Mine near
Buckfastleigh it was still possible to descend the shaft and also to go into
three different adits from the surface; there must have (many years ago)
been a much lower adit too, where the water drains out from in amongst a
collapse. This was about 15 years ago, so it was very interesting to read
that it was once a magnetite mine, something none of us realised then. We
never had any problem with getting permission to visit the mine, except for
avoiding being bitten by the farm dogs! The mine is well worth a visit and
is also notable for having several car bodies below the top section of the
main shaft which is open to the surface - plenty of magnetism there!
Also the Rock Hotel at Haytor is thoroughly recommended by Hades for drinks
and curry on a Sunday lunchtime, even though its obviously surrounded by
magnetite.
Roger Gosling
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 05 June 2000 21:37
Subject: Re: Lodestone Mining
> Dear John,
> I found the following references to magnetite:
> Haytor Mine worked a lode about 500 yds east of the Dartmoor granite
by
> opencast and adit.The lode was well known in the 16th cent. but records
are
> vague
> other than output of magnetite,along with brown haematite and specular
iron
> ore was 26,500tons in 1858-61 and 1869-82.The adit location is given as
the
> valley bottom,200yds east of the Rock Hotel at Haytor Vale.
> Smallacombe Mine,by opencast 900yds S.E. of the Rock Hotel with Deep
Adit
> 200 yds E. of the opencast plus Shallow Adit in the openwork and Whim
Shaft
> and an air shaft close by.Produced 73 tons of magnetite in 1868.
> Also Bulkamore Mine(Rattery or Brent Mine) 2 miles S.S.E,
Buckfastleigh,
> three & half miles S.S.W. Ashburton at Mine Copse,worked by shaft and
three
> adits.An adit driven in 1942 found magnetite but there are no records of
> production
> of this mineral,just 4,400 tons of iron ore in 1874/5.
> More details are in Dines Vol 2(Metalliferous Mining Region of S.W.
> England)
> Hope this is of interest. Andrew Santer
>
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