Also known as: In conjunction with north Hooe it was known at different times as Tamar Silver Lead and Tamar Consol and in conjunction with South Tamar it was also known as South Tamar Consols between 1820 and 1821 only.
worked from the western most of the two Bere peninsular lodes and situated on the north side of the Tamar River. First recorded output is from the early 1800s with a silver content as high as 180oz to the ton and lead at around 60%. in 1814-15 3 tons of silver was raised.
after a brief merger with south Tamar work began again independently in 1835 under the name of the Tamar Silver-Lead mine.
Worked from engine shaft which was sunk to 250ftms on the 15 degree east underlie. The 160 and 175ftm levels where the most extensive going out to 470ftm south.
Outputs under the names of Tamar Silver Lead and Tamar Consols are 1845-76 14640 tons of 62% lead ore and 326300oz silver. From 1879-82, 780 tons of fluorspar.
“As the lode pitches south the majority of the workings are to the south for up to ¼ of a mile under the river. To work the mine it was necessary to drive longer and longer levels from the initial shaft as work progressed. To overcome this a 25degree incline was driven between the 13 and 115 fathom levels. Spurgin’s shaft under the river was then sunk to the 175 fathom level and an underground engine installed for hauling. The smoke from the engine was ducted to surface through old workings but unfortunately in 1851 a group of workers found a rich pocket of ore in the old workings but 4 of the 6 were overcome by the fumes and died. Ores were smelted at Weir Quay where furnaces could handle up to 300 tons per month. The silver return averaged 60oz / ton. Returns on the ore increased with depth but working finally ceased in 1885 250 fathoms below adit.”
A.K. Hamilton Jenkin
Description by ferret