Copper

Symbol	Cu

This is a short overview. For the background — history, value over time and notable mines — see Copper →

Occurs in: Hydrothermal Deposits, Veins and Lodes →

A reddish, highly conductive metal, worked from ores such as chalcopyrite and malachite by crushing, dressing and smelting. Used for centuries in alloys (bronze, brass), vessels and roofing, and since the 19th century heavily for electrical wiring.

Mines

Show these mines on the map

Mine	Region	Worked
Aberdaunant Mine	Powys	1800–late 1870s
Alderley Edge Mines	Cheshire	Bronze Age–1926
Ale and Cakes Mine	Cornwall	by 1780–c. 1870
Auchencairn Mine	Dumfries and Galloway	18th century–1961
Bagtor Mine	Devon	1851–1866
Balleswidden Mine	Cornwall	1507 (earliest record)–1873 or 1875
Bampfylde Mine	Devon	c.1420-1530 (medieval)–1885
Bedford United Mine	Devon	1841–1890
Belstone Mine	Devon	1829–1891
Boswedden Mine	Cornwall	1808–1876
Botallack Mine	Cornwall	1500s–1895
Bradda Head Mines	Isle of Man	Bronze Age–1904
Brandelhow Mine	Cumbria	By 1560s–early 1891
Brandy Gill Mine	Cumbria	1852 (uncertain)–1877
Britannia Copper Mine	Gwynedd	Around 1800–1916
Brynlow Mine	Cheshire	Bronze Age–19th century
Caradon Hill Medieval and Post-Medieval Mines	Cornwall	From 1515–1890
Carn Brea Mine	Cornwall	1832–1913-14
Carn Camborne Mine	Cornwall	By 1727 (as Heart's Ease Mine)–1897 (absorbed by Dolcoath)
Carrock End Copper Mine	Cumbria	About 1700–1869
Carrock Fell Mine	Cumbria	1854–1981
Castletown Mine	Argyll and Bute	by 1862–c. 1912 (revival 1910-12)
Cligga Head	Cornwall	pre-1825–1945
Clive Mine	Shropshire	17th century–1869
Clogau Gold Mine	Gwynedd	1854–1998
Cobalt Mine	Cheshire	Probably early 19th century–By 1850s
Coniston Copper Mines	Cumbria	1590s–early 20th century (residual activity to 1956)
Consolidated Mines	Cornwall	1782–1870
Cook's Kitchen Mine	Cornwall	By early 18th century–1913
Copper Hill Mine	Cornwall	after 1780–c. 1870
Crenver & Wheal Abraham	Cornwall	1815–1870
Cuddra Mine	Cornwall	By 1814–By the 1880s
Cusvey Mine	Cornwall	1734 (tin dues)–1870
Cwmavon Copper Works	Neath Port Talbot	1835–1906
Cwmystwyth Mines	Ceredigion	Bronze Age–1950
Dale Head Copper Mine	Cumbria	from c. 1700
Danescombe Mine	Cornwall	Before 1837–After 1900
Devon Great Consols	Devon	1844–1903
Devon United Mine	Devon	From about 1820–1923
Ding Dong Mine	Cornwall	documented from early 17th century–1928
Dirtlow Rake Mine	Derbyshire	at least 17th century–20th century
Doc Mine	Cheshire	19th century–1878
Dolcoath Mine	Cornwall	1720s–1920
Dolfrwynog Mine	Gwynedd	By 1824–1860s
Drakewalls Mine	Cornwall	Medieval–c. 1910
Driggith Mine	Cumbria	17th or 18th century–1940s
Drws-y-Coed Copper Mine	Gwynedd	Medieval (recorded 1284)–1903
Dylife	Powys	1640–1901
Eaglebrook Mine	Ceredigion	Before 1708–1874
East Pool Mine	Cornwall	1698–1945
Ecton Copper Mines	Staffordshire	Bronze Age–1891
Engine Vein	Cheshire	Bronze Age–1919
Esgair Hir and Esgair Fraith Mines	Powys	1691–1904
Esgair Mwyn Mine	Ceredigion	1746–1994
Excelsior Mine	Cornwall	early 1850s–1946 (mining)
Fowey Consols	Cornwall	1813–1867
Garths Ness Mine	Shetland Islands	c. 1800–1920s
Gawton Mine	Devon	Before 1846–1902–03 (arsenic works)
Geevor Tin Mine	Cornwall	1911–1990
George and Charlotte Copper Mine	Devon	18th century–1869
Glasdir Mine	Gwynedd	From c. 1852 (surface)–1915
Glenchass Mine	Isle of Man	Before 1800 (probable)–1865
Goldscope Mine	Cumbria	1564–late 19th century
Gonamena	Cornwall	1844–1886 (final re-trial)
Great County Adit	Cornwall	1748–Still active
Great Crinnis Mine	Cornwall	By 1809–c. 1881
Great Dowgas Mine	Cornwall	c. 1719–1913
Great Laxey Mine	Isle of Man	1780s–1929
Great Orme Copper Mines	Conwy	c. 1700 BC–c. 600 BC
Great Sleddale Mine	North Yorkshire	from c. 1908
Great Wheal Charlotte	Cornwall	By 1820–c. 1840 (reduced working to c. 1863)
Great Work Mine	Cornwall	By 1538–1939
Greenburn Mine	Cumbria	From late 17th century–c. 1885
Gunnislake Clitters Mine	Cornwall	c. 1820–1919
Hafan Mine	Ceredigion	c. 1620–1889–90
Halamanning Mine	Cornwall	By 1794–1858 (reworked 1912)
Hallenbeagle Mine	Cornwall	By 1835–c. 1867–1870
Herland Mine	Cornwall	worked from at least 1726–1874
Higher Levant Mine	Cornwall	1877–1914
Higher Pitts Mine	Somerset	17th century–1893
Hingston Down Quarry	Cornwall	From the 18th century–1908
Holmbush Mine	Cornwall	Probably early 1600s–1892
Hough Level	Cheshire	1760s–1877
Huglith Mine	Shropshire	c. 1800–1945
Ivy Tor Mine	Devon	from 1840s
Killifreth Mine	Cornwall	1826–1927
King Edward Mine (South Condurrow)	Cornwall	1844–1896
Kit Hill Mine	Cornwall	From 15th-16th centuries–1884 (main working ceased)
Langness Mine	Isle of Man	19th century–1902
Levant Mine	Cornwall	1787–1930
Llanymynech Hill Mines and Quarries	Powys	From later Bronze Age–Around 200 AD
Long Work Copper Mine	Cumbria	c. 1565–1922
Marke Valley Mine	Cornwall	1828–1890
Merrybent Copper Mine	North Yorkshire	c. 1856–After 1925
Middleton Tyas Copper Mine	North Yorkshire	From the 15th century–mid-18th century (exact date unrecorded)
Mona Mine	Anglesey	1764 (lease)–1899 (merger)
Morfa Du Mine	Anglesey	1874–1904
Mynachdy (Rhosmynach and Carmel Head Copper Mines)	Anglesey	From 1839–1926
Nangiles Mine	Cornwall	by 1808–1915
New Consols Mine	Cornwall	From the 19th century–1953
North Downs Mine	Cornwall	By mid-18th century–After 1918
Oatfield Mine	Cornwall	By 1825–c. 1864
Okeltor Mine	Cornwall	Around 1845–1887
Parys Mountain	Anglesey	Bronze Age–1904
Penberthy Croft Mine	Cornwall	1798–Late 1840s
Pendeen Consols	Cornwall	1856–1870
Penhalls Mine	Cornwall	By 1834–1884 (independent working)
Penlee Quarry	Cornwall	1879–1991
Phoenix United Mine	Cornwall	1836–1914
Pillar Mine	Cheshire	—
Polberro Mine	Cornwall	By the 1730s–1941
Polbreen Mine	Cornwall	By 1829–By 1891
Poldice Mine	Cornwall	By 1512–1930
Poldory Mine	Cornwall	By 1760–Around 1870
Prince of Wales Mine	Cornwall	1580–1977
Ramsley Mine	Devon	From 1851–c.1911-12
Red Gill Mine	Cumbria	from 19th century
Redmoor Mine	Cornwall	1700–1945
Roughton Gill Mine	Cumbria	12th century (earliest possible)–17th century
Saddlebole Mine	Cheshire	from Documented from 1693
Sandbed Mine	Cumbria	18th century–1966
Sandlodge Mine	Shetland Islands	c. 1790–1929
Silver Gill Mine	Cumbria	1020-1200–Late Elizabethan period
South Caradon Mine	Cornwall	1836–1885
South Crofty	Cornwall	1592–1998
South Polgooth Mine	Cornwall	1593–1916
South Wheal Frances	Cornwall	1820s–December 1919
St Just Amalgamated Mines	Cornwall	from At least 1907
St Thomas' Work Copper Mine	Cumbria	Late 16th century–Early 17th century
Sygun Copper Mine	Gwynedd	18th century–1903
Talnotry Mine	Dumfries and Galloway	c. 1885–Mid-1880s
Thorswood Mines	Staffordshire	from Late 17th century
Tilberthwaite	Cumbria	worked from the late 16th/early 17th century (Elizabethan)–1942 (copper)
Tincroft Mine	Cornwall	By the 1680s–1921 (South Tincroft)
Ting Tang Mine	Cornwall	By 1816–By 1870
Tomnadashan Copper Mine	Perth and Kinross	1841–1862
Tresavean Mine	Cornwall	1737–1928
Treskerby Mine	Cornwall	By 1800–1922-27
Trevaunance Mine	Cornwall	1843–1887
Turf Copper Mine	Gwynedd	Early 19th century–By mid-19th century
Turnavore Mine	Cornwall	1837–1895
Twin Shafts	Cheshire	—
Tynehead Mine	Cumbria	1854–1873
Tywarnhayle Mine	Cornwall	1750–1864
United Mines	Cornwall	c.1780–1857
Vigra Mine	Gwynedd	1833–c. 1910 (little work after 1879)
Wanlockhead	Dumfries and Galloway	13th century–1934
West Chiverton Mine	Cornwall	1846–1886
West Crinnis Mine	Cornwall	1855–1859
West Mine	Cheshire	Possibly pre-1857–1923
West Tolgus Mine	Cornwall	By the 1720s–February 1884
Westcott Mine	Shropshire	from 1753
Wheal Agar	Cornwall	from By 1883
Wheal Alfred	Cornwall	from by 1801
Wheal Andrew	Cornwall	After 1780–Around 1870
Wheal Basset (Basset Mines)	Cornwall	From 1815–1918
Wheal Betsy	Devon	1740–1877
Wheal Buller	Cornwall	worked from 1819–1875
Wheal Busy	Cornwall	16th century (earliest working)–1924
Wheal Clifford	Cornwall	By 1835–1861
Wheal Coates	Cornwall	1802–1914
Wheal Cock	Cornwall	1778 (reopened)–1914
Wheal Crebor	Devon	About 1803–1902
Wheal Cupboard	Cornwall	Before 1780–Around 1870
Wheal Damsel	Cornwall	1795–1872
Wheal Drea	Cornwall	1790s–1884
Wheal Edward	Cornwall	From 1821–1893
Wheal Eliza	Somerset	From 1845–1858
Wheal Ellen	Cornwall	c. 1826–1862 (reworking tried 1866 and 1907)
Wheal Fanny	Devon	1845–1903
Wheal Fortune	Cornwall	1855–1912
Wheal Friendly	Cornwall	c. 1860–By 1930
Wheal Friendship	Devon	late 18th century–1950s
Wheal Gorland	Cornwall	1792–1864
Wheal Grambler	Cornwall	By 1792–1893
Wheal Grenville	Cornwall	1820s–1920
Wheal Harmony	Cornwall	From 1760s–1879 (as Treleigh Wood Mine)
Wheal Jane	Cornwall	1861–1991
Wheal Kine	Cornwall	1837–1895
Wheal Kitty	Cornwall	From 1758–1930
Wheal Maid	Cornwall	1782–1870s
Wheal Owles	Cornwall	c. 1830–1893
Wheal Peevor	Cornwall	c. 1701–1950s
Wheal Prosper	Cornwall	c. 1860–1866
Wheal Regent	Cornwall	1809–1855
Wheal Squire	Cornwall	1816–Around 1870
Wheal Towan	Cornwall	By 1756 (as Wheal Sound)–1837 (abandonment plan)
Wheal Trewavas	Cornwall	by 1834–1846
Wheal Union	Cornwall	1848–1882
Wheal Unity Wood	Cornwall	By 1815–1927
Wheal Uny	Cornwall	worked from c. 1800–1893
Wheal Vor	Cornwall	From the 15th century–1911
Wood Mine	Cheshire	1857–1877 (closure)
Yarner Copper Mine	Devon	1857–1865
Ystrad Einion Mine	Ceredigion	18th century–1903