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This is a non-profit making exercise. Also 'Ali' Neil and his Plymouth Caving Group team carried out a number of underground surveys (and asociated photographs) that appear in this book.
Micaceous Haematite or 'Shiny Ore' as it was known locally was mined commercially for over two hundred years in the Hennock-Lustleigh area of Devon, The main use of micaceous haematite was as a base ingredient in rust resistant paint. It was mined nowhere else in the UK. The mines did not hit the headlines and it is probable that most people in the mining world would not have known of the industry.
The 'Hennock; mines: Bowden Hill, Shuttamoor and Great Rock are covered in my previous book 'Great Rock, Devon's Last Metal Mine', and are only touched on here. Great Rock, where I briefly worked in 1963, was by far the largest mine in the area and the last to close in 1969.
This book, as the title suggests, concentrates on the mines in the Wray valley - that is between Bovey Tand Moretonhampstead.. From north to south along the Wray valley they were: Wray, Pepperdon, Kelly, Hawkmoor, Plumley and Shaptor. All were tiny, usually employing less than ten people. Much of the mines' surface structures have been swept away. Fortunately the Kelly Mine Preservation Society has restored the surface part of Kelly Mine to working order.
An important part of this book is a record of what is there now. To this end I managed to persuade Alasdair Neill (whose untimely death Ali Neill has just been reported by Peter Claughton ) and some of his colleagues from the Plymouth Caving Group to survey the accessible workings at Wray, Pepperdon, Kelly and Hawkmoor. Mine plans of these mines do not appear to exist.
Once the productions costs have been recovered the bulk of the remaining stock of books will be given to the Kelly Mine Preservation Society to support their project there.
190 pages - 64 plates - 33 figures. Soft back only
Not available through retail outlets ?15.00 post free UK only
Cheques only please, made out to A W. Brooks, Polstrong Cottage, Polstrong, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 0QA
Micaceous Haematite or 'Shiny Ore' as it was known locally was mined commercially for over two hundred years in the Hennock-Lustleigh area of Devon, The main use of micaceous haematite was as a base ingredient in rust resistant paint. It was mined nowhere else in the UK. The mines did not hit the headlines and it is probable that most people in the mining world would not have known of the industry.
The 'Hennock; mines: Bowden Hill, Shuttamoor and Great Rock are covered in my previous book 'Great Rock, Devon's Last Metal Mine', and are only touched on here. Great Rock, where I briefly worked in 1963, was by far the largest mine in the area and the last to close in 1969.
This book, as the title suggests, concentrates on the mines in the Wray valley - that is between Bovey Tand Moretonhampstead.. From north to south along the Wray valley they were: Wray, Pepperdon, Kelly, Hawkmoor, Plumley and Shaptor. All were tiny, usually employing less than ten people. Much of the mines' surface structures have been swept away. Fortunately the Kelly Mine Preservation Society has restored the surface part of Kelly Mine to working order.
An important part of this book is a record of what is there now. To this end I managed to persuade Alasdair Neill (whose untimely death Ali Neill has just been reported by Peter Claughton ) and some of his colleagues from the Plymouth Caving Group to survey the accessible workings at Wray, Pepperdon, Kelly and Hawkmoor. Mine plans of these mines do not appear to exist.
Once the productions costs have been recovered the bulk of the remaining stock of books will be given to the Kelly Mine Preservation Society to support their project there.
190 pages - 64 plates - 33 figures. Soft back only
Not available through retail outlets ?15.00 post free UK only
Cheques only please, made out to A W. Brooks, Polstrong Cottage, Polstrong, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 0QA
