Thorswood Mines

Overview

A group of copper, lead and zinc mines in the Weaver Hills at the southern end of the Pennines, worked from at least the mid-to-late 17th century on a complex of north–south veins and pipes in limestone. Twenty-one old shafts are recorded, several with gin circles terraced into the slope, and the hillocks they left stand up to three metres high across what is now a nature reserve.

History

Thorswood lies just over the county boundary from Derbyshire, on high ground at the southern end of the Pennines, and its remains date from at least the mid-to-late 17th century. The mine was worked from the surface down to considerable depth for lead, copper and zinc on a complex vein and pipe deposit, and the extensive hillocks it left occupy a discrete area of the hill. Twenty-one old shafts have been recorded in the area, which points to a substantial deposit; section drawings published by Robey and Porter in 1971 imply that the shafts were linked underground by levels and by stope workings following the richer pockets and bellies of ore. The ground is now the Thorswood nature reserve of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, an 81-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest of hay meadows and limestone grassland which also holds three Bronze Age bowl barrows, themselves scheduled.

Geology

The mines worked a number of north–south trending veins, and a vein and pipe deposit, hosted in the shallow-water limestones of the southern Peak. Chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite are recorded from the site — the copper, lead and zinc ores that were worked.

Workings

The surface remains are earthworks, rock-cut features and buried deposits, standing up to about three metres high, in Thorswood Plantation, on open pasture to the east and on similar ground to the north-west. At least four and possibly five shafts east of the plantation have gin circles terraced into the slope beside them, surviving as clear circular earthworks next to large shafts; these shafts and their downslope hillocks stand as discrete features with little to link them at the surface or to show where ore was processed. Within the plantation, which is enclosed by a drystone wall still clear on its western side, are further shafts, including two particularly deep ones that are capped but remain accessible; the underground workings have not been archaeologically investigated. Towards the northern end of the plantation the shafts are interlinked.

Closure

No date is recorded for the end of working. The scheduling says only that the mine was worked from at least the mid-to-late 17th century from the surface to considerable depth.

What remains

The mining remains are a scheduled monument and are well preserved as earthworks, rock-cut features and buried deposits within the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's Thorswood nature reserve. Two deep shafts inside the plantation are capped, and the trust asks visitors to keep to the marked trails because of the shafts.

Extensive hillocks up to 3 m high, twenty-one recorded shafts, at least four gin circles terraced into the slope, capped deep shafts within the plantation, and the drystone wall enclosing it.

Redevelopment

None. The ground is a nature reserve of hay meadows and limestone grassland, opened by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust in 2004.

Nearby mines

• Caldon Low Quarry — 3.7 km NW
• Brown End Quarry — 3.8 km NW
• Bincliff Lead Mines — 8.6 km N
• New Haden Colliery — 10.5 km SW
• Ecton Copper Mines — 11.3 km N

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Recorded claims

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

• The monument includes post-medieval lead mining remains dating from at least the mid-to-late 17th century, the mine having been worked from the surface to considerable depth for lead, copper and zinc. ¹
• There are 21 old shafts in the area, indicating a substantial deposit, on a number of north–south trending veins hosted in shallow-water limestones. ²
• At least four and possibly five shafts east of the plantation are associated with gin circles terraced into the slope, surviving as clear circular earthworks. ¹
• The mining remains lie within the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's Thorswood reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest of 81 hectares which also contains three Bronze Age bowl barrows. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Thorswood Mines, Wootton (List entry 1412506) — Historic England
2. (secondary) Thorswood Mines, Stanton, Staffordshire — Mindat
3. (secondary) Thorswood — Wikipedia

Record created: 22 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026