Brimpts Tin Mine

Overview

A Dartmoor tin sett on the southern slopes of Laughter Tor, west of Dartmeet, worked in two distinct sections -- North Mine and South Mine -- with origins in medieval streamworking and its last significant activity in the 1850s.

History

Brimpts Tin Mine lies on the southern slopes of Laughter Tor, running from there to just west of Dartmeet on Dartmoor. The sett is in two parts, North Mine (SX653751) and South Mine (SX669738), with origins in streamworking dating back to around 1500. Later, more organised mining activity is recorded in two main phases, 1787-1798 and 1849-1855, overlying and reworking the earlier ground. North Mine's shaft reached a total depth of 26 fathoms; its remains today include the Engine Shaft and an Adit shaft (also called the New Engine Shaft), a number of overgrown trial pits, low building remains, a collapsed adit and the remnants of dressing floors. A detailed history and trail guide has since been published by the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group, and the site -- though on private land -- is accessible via the Brimpts Tin Mines Trail, established by Peter Hirst in the mid-1990s.

Workings

North Mine's shaft reached a total depth of 26 fathoms; surviving features include the Engine Shaft, an Adit/New Engine Shaft, several trial (costean) pits, a collapsed adit and the remains of dressing floors below the main workings.

Closure

No further significant activity is recorded after the 1849-1855 phase of working.

What remains

North Mine's shafts survive fenced, with low building remains, overgrown trial pits and dressing-floor remnants; the site is on private land but accessible via the waymarked Brimpts Tin Mines Trail.

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.

• North Mine's shaft reached a total depth of 26 fathoms; the mine was worked up until the mid 19th century. ¹
• Brimpts has origins in streamworking from around 1500, with later organised mining recorded in two main phases, 1787-1798 and 1849-1855. ²
• Although on private land, Brimpts is accessible to the public via the waymarked Brimpts Tin Mines Trail, established by Peter Hirst in the mid-1990s. ²

Sources

1. (secondary) North Mine, Brimpts Tin Mines, Dartmoor Forest — mindat.org
2. (secondary) Brimpts Tin Mine Trails — Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026