Beckwith Mine

Overview

The westernmost and richest of the Foxdale mines on the Isle of Man, discovered by chance in 1831 when lead ore was found in the spokes of a cart wheel, and worked to a depth considerably below sea level before its deeper workings proved unprofitable and it closed around 1866.

History

Mining at Beckwith began in 1831, after lead ore was found lodged in the spokes of a passing cart wheel; the ground proved immensely rich, yielding 600 tons of ore before a shaft was even sunk. The main, or Beckwiths, shaft was developed from 1849, eventually reaching a depth of around 1,100 to 1,380 feet -- 185 to 230 fathoms -- with levels driven at regular intervals below the old and new day levels; the shaft's bottom lay considerably below sea level. Located in Glen Rushen, Beckwith was the most westerly of the Foxdale group of mines and was usually worked in conjunction with the smaller, neighbouring Cross Vein Mine, about two-thirds of a mile to the east. Over its working life the mine yielded more than 50,000 tons of ore, realising approximately £750,000 for the operating company and bringing considerable prosperity to the Isle of Man as a whole. This success directly led to the founding of the Manx Northern Railway, built to carry mineral trains from Foxdale to the quayside at Ramsey for shipment, and to haul coal back for the mine's own pumping-engine boilers on the return journey. Despite this rich beginning, the deeper part of the mine and its lateral workings ultimately proved unprofitable, and Beckwith was abandoned around 1866; an attempt was made some fifteen to twenty years later to form a new company to reopen it, but this came to nothing.

Workings

The main Beckwiths Shaft reached 185-230 fathoms deep, considerably below sea level, with levels driven at regular intervals; worked in conjunction with the neighbouring Cross Vein Mine two-thirds of a mile to the east.

Closure

Abandoned around 1866 once the deeper and lateral workings proved unprofitable; a later attempt to reopen the mine, some 15-20 years afterward, came to nothing.

Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Mining at Beckwith began in 1831 after lead ore was found lodged in the spokes of a passing cart wheel; the ground proved immensely rich, yielding 600 tons of ore before a shaft was even sunk. ¹
• The main Beckwiths Shaft, developed from 1849, reached around 1,100 to 1,380 feet deep, considerably below sea level; over its working life the mine yielded more than 50,000 tons of ore, realising approximately £750,000. ¹
• The mine's success directly led to the founding of the Manx Northern Railway, built to carry mineral trains from Foxdale to the quayside at Ramsey for shipment, and to haul coal back for the mine's own pumping engines. ¹
• The deeper part of the mine and its lateral workings proved unprofitable, and Beckwith was abandoned around 1866; an attempt some 15-20 years later to form a new company to reopen it came to nothing. ¹
• Beckwith was operated by the Isle of Man Mining Company, also known as the Foxdale Mining Company, founded in 1853 to operate the Foxdale mines until it ceased operations there in July 1911. ²

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.

Sources

1. (secondary) beckwiths mine — Manx Mines
2. (secondary) Isle of Man Mining Company — Wikipedia

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026