Molland Mine

Overview

A copper and later iron mine in the Exmoor foothills near Molland, which raised 1,700 tons of copper ore in 1845-67 and over 20,000 tons of iron ore in 1877-93.

History

Molland Mine lay near Bremley and Gourt in the parish of Molland, on the southern edge of Exmoor, six miles from South Molton, where iron and copper were mined from the 17th century until 1894. In 1856 it was held at a royalty of one-fifteenth from Sir Robert Throckmorton of Buckland and worked for copper. Its main lode, running north of west, carried quartz, carbonate of iron and yellow copper ore; six shafts had been sunk, the engine shaft to 62 fathoms with levels at 20, 30, 42, 52 and 62 fathoms, and a 36-foot waterwheel worked the pumps and a crushing machine. The ore included yellow and grey copper with a little silver, and went by road to Barnstaple, twenty miles away. The company had 10,000 shares, with Thomas Bennetts as captain and offices in Old Broad Street, London.

The surviving records show more than 1,700 tons of copper ore worth over £9,300 raised between 1845 and 1867. The mine then turned to iron, producing over 20,000 tons of iron ore worth more than £5,000 between 1877 and 1893; it and the nearby Brimley mine both belonged to the Molland Mining Company, and Molland employed at most 30 people, 22 of them underground, in 1889-90. Plans of 'Brimley or Molland' in iron and copper ores are dated 1893, and the last iron was mined in 1894. A shaft near Moor Lane, used in the 1870s, is thought to have been part of the mine; it has been ploughed over and shows only as a hollow.

Geology

A main lode of quartz, iron carbonate and yellow copper ore, and a north lode of limestone and quartz.

Workings

Six shafts, the engine shaft 62 fathoms deep, worked by a 36-ft waterwheel with a crushing machine.

Closure

Copper output recorded to 1867; iron worked to 1893-94.

What remains

A shaft hollow near Moor Lane in reseeded pasture.

A ploughed-over shaft hollow about 11 m across.

Redevelopment

Farmland.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• A shaft near Moor Lane, in use in the 1870s, is suggested to have been part of Molland Mine. (uncertain) ³

Recorded claims

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

• Mining for iron and copper took place near Bremley and Gourt from the 17th century until 1894. ¹
• Over 1,700 tons of copper ore, worth more than £9,300, were mined at Molland Mine between 1845 and 1867. ¹
• The same mine produced over 20,000 tons of iron ore, worth more than £5,000, between 1877 and 1893. ¹
• In 1856 Molland Mine was held at 1/15th from Sir Robert Throckmorton; six shafts had been sunk, the engine shaft to 62 fathoms, and it was worked by a 36-foot waterwheel. ²
• Molland Mine employed at most 30 people (22 underground) in 1889-90; it and Brimley were owned by the Molland Mining Co. ¹
• A shaft near Moor Lane, in use in the 1870s, is suggested to have been part of Molland Mine. (uncertain) ³
• Plans of 'Brimley or Molland' in iron and copper ores are dated 1893. ⁴

Sources

1. (secondary) Molland — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) 1856 Mines in Devon and Cornwall — Grace's Guide
3. (secondary) MDE8251 - 19th Century iron working shaft near Moor Lane — Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record
4. (primary) BGS mine plan: Brimley or Molland, iron and copper ores, 1893 — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026