Dear Chris,
I think there’s one simple and cheep solution to keep off aggressive mineral
collectors. Build a locked fence on the mine entrance. I am also a mineral
collector, but I always ask permission to enter a site. I enjoy collecting
minerals but I also enjoy being underground, exploring the history and
making photos. All that can be done without damaging or disturbing bats.
Collectors who work with explosives are not mineral collectors but probably
are dealers who are out for the big money and have no eye for the mining
history, bats, or the beauty of underground workings. Trust me, they never
will!
Make as much publicity about the vandalism as you can and do that with
photos. Newspapers, radio… whatever. Report this to the mineral clubs in
England. The Russell Society fe. The more people who known about this, the
better it is.
It is also in the interest of the ‘serious’ mineral collector because,
aggressive actions causes localities to close, which causes the end of our
hobby.
Richard
De Nul, Richard
Churchilllaan 330
2900 Schoten
Belgium
Tel N°: +32 3 658.75.36
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://users.pandora.be/rdn
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Chris Kelland
Sent: dinsdag 25 januari 2005 16:31
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Virtuous Lady Mine, Devon
Dear List
I am currently involved in assisting the Maristow Estate who own
the Virtuous Lady Mine to try and acquire partial funding. So far the
organisations that have been approached are - Dartmoor National Park
Authority, English Nature, West Devon Borough Council and the Devon Bat
Group. Only the Bat Group have donated any monies. The Estate are trying
to raise about £3,000 to gate and secure the underground workings of the
mine, which in its day was a famous copper mine dating from Queen
Elizabeth's I time. The problems the Estate are encountering are agressive
mineral collectors, who have no regard for the bats, or the family who
live in the old Mine Captains house on top of the mine. During the last
couple of years explosives have been used to extract the minerals. The
Police have been informed of illegal trespass and the use of explosives.
Can anyone advise me where to look for funding please. Thank you in
anticipation of your response. Chris Kelland.
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