A Precious Resource - Silver from the Bere Peninsula
On a bright, sunny summer morning the Bere Peninsula may seem remote, relaxed, even sleepy, with the broad Tamar stretching away southwards towards Plymouth and the sea. But it has seen different days. In medieval times the area, known then as Birland, which comprises the parish of Bere Ferrers and includes the small town of Bere Alston, was seen as something of a jewel in the crown of English kings. The reason for this was the occurrence of silver, in association with lead, in the richly metalliferous soil. The presence of lead in other parts of the country had been known for centuries, notably in Derbyshire where it was worked extensively from the time of the Romans, who used it for cisterns and piping. But the Derbyshire lead was not generally argentiferous, and the silver accompanying it in Devon was highly prized from around 1293 and through most of the 1300s during the reigns of Edwards I, II and III. Ranking second only to gold as a precious metal, it was valued for currency – much needed at the time of the Hundred Years War – and also for decorative work.
The rich resources of silver in the mines of Bere Ferrers, and those of Combe Martin in north Devon, came to prominence in the 1390s, with annual production of the refined metal in Bere Ferrers reaching a recorded 700 lb. Workings in this period were mainly near surface level, although it appears that help was sought from tinners in the area for works to aid drainage and access in the form of adits and shafts. Smelting was done in ovens, activated by water powered air blasts, and the River Tamar provided convenient access for transporting the ore. Records indicate that in 1297 384 miners from the Derbyshire Peak District and 35 from Wales were engaged at Bere Ferrers, their numbers causing the development of Bere Alston as a market town, and later a borough. The Black Death (bubonic plague) of 1348-50 and resulting decimation of population affected production, and brought decline.
Located between the lowest reach of the tributary River Tavy on its east side, and the pronounced meandering convolutions of the Tamar on the west, Bere Ferrers is a roughly diamond shaped parish, now devoted mainly to farming. One particularly pronounced loop of the Tamar creates a 'mini peninsula', encompassing the areas of South and North Hooe, and it is here, on the westernmost mineral lode that the richest silver resources have been obtained, A second, parallel, lode, running north-south roughly 1300 yards to the east, has been worked south of Weir Quay, at Furzehill, Lockridge and Buttspill, and further ones just across the Tavy at Maristow and Lopwell.
Following the decline of the medieval bonanza, operations apparently ceased, apart from some re-workings of former waste. But as the Industrial Revolution advanced, bringing new demands and offering improved technologies for extraction and processing, interests revived, encouraged by metallurgist Perceval Norton Johnson FRS, and workings proceeded at the various locations. From the late 18th century interests centred on South and North Hooe mines, with the former being the more prosperous – 6,500 oz of silver was recorded from South Hooe in 1784-5 – and continued in the 19th century..
South Hooe retains notable structural remains from the mining days. After becoming mainly obscured by vegetative growth they are now coming to light, as their historical interest is increasingly recognised. The site is a component part of the World Heritage Site within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape and has recently been the subject of a report which intends to ensure that the important remains are suitably preserved and enhanced. Commissioned by Natural England, and entitled 'South Hooe Mine Bere Alston' (2009) the archaeological assessment was produced for Cornwall Council by Project Manager Colin Buck MFA and his team.
The mine had two shafts, and eventually seven steam engines for pumping and raising ore. Workings extended out beneath the Tamar with a long inclined plane and an underground steam engine installed for raising ore in 1850. In 1851 smoke from this caused harm to the miners, and three deaths, necessitating fans and suitable ducting away of the fumes. The shaft from this point eventually reached 260 fathoms (1 fathom = 6 feet). Over 200 men were employed in 1852, the year which saw the highest silver yield of 40,200 oz. A stamping engine for crushing the ore was installed in 1863, and smelting was done at Weir Quay, where a new smelter replaced an older one in the 1840s.
Mining continued until the 1860s when it was decided to sell, and the company was liquidated in 1866. Subsequently there were sales of ore into the 1870s, and of the by-product fluorspar until 1882. Besides the surviving and restored agent's house and count house, there are remains of workshops, the pumping engine house, the incline's winding engine buildings, and an engine chimney. Identifiable areas on the site include those of the engine's reservoir, stamps and dressing floors, depressions indicating mine shafts, and a tramway route leading to the coal quay.
The site is privately owned, with access only at the discretion of the owners. However, building conservation works to enable pre-arranged public visits form a core of the present scheme.
Helen Harris