MSO6771 - Wheal Gregory Iron and Copper Mine (Monument)

The remains of the mine, in operation by 1857, are visible as a subrectangular enclosure on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1971. Adits are shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1979. It predominantly produced iron but also copper.

Mining lease granted January 1857 on 'Wheal Gregory Iron and Copper Mine' which were already in operation. A report of 1859 stated that there was no sign of copper in the 2 lodes that had been opened but considerable quantities of iron could be expected. However the distance to the coast would make mining it uneconomic. There were plans for a tramway to Porlock but the money seems not to have been raised. The mine was offered for sale in 1863 but the outcome is not known. [1] Adits were shown on the 1979 1:10,000 map at SS 8549 3734 and SS 8528 3765. As well as the two adits there is a low bank forming a sub-rectangular enclosure in the field southwest of Court Copse at SS 8555 3742 and spoil heaps at Southcott to the northeast at SS 857 377 (MMO2820). [2-4] The remains of Wheal Gregory mine are visible as earthworks approximately 1km to the south of Exford, centred on circa SS 85373738. The remains comprise adits, spoil heaps cut by barrow-run trackways and a low curvilinear enclosure bank. The latter is clearly visible on aerial photographs as an earthwork in an irregularly shaped field to the south-west of Court Plantation, centred on circa SS 85333732, and has been transcribed with neighbouring trackways as part of the Exmoor National Mapping Programme survey. The additional mine features were unfortunately obscured from the survey by dense vegetation cover. [6] The site comprises a typical mine with spoil heaps and adits. The latter have been either filled in or blocked off. The barrow runs in the spoil heaps are still well preserved. [8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9]