MDE21275 - Berdan House, a stone crusher house at Bampfyle Copper Mine (Building)

A mid 19th Century stone crusher house, rectangular in form with a former wheel pit that housed an overshot wheel adjoining to the west. It may be the only known example of a combined gold crusher and amalgamation plant in England.

Stone crusher house, remains of. Probably mid 19th Century. Stone rubble walls. Now floorless and roofless. Plan: Rectangular former crusher house with retaining walls to rectangular former wheel pit adjoining to west. Exterior: First-floor and ground-floor window openings to south. First-floor window opening to north with ground-floor arched opening beneath. First-floor rectangular opening in east wall, with wooden lintel. Interior: Ledge running around walls, probably to support former first floor. Bampfylde was the principal copper mine in the area. The main period of activity here was from 1865-84, although mining has been carried out here intermittently since the later 17th Century. It is possible that the crusher dates from the early 19th Century but it probably dates from later in the 19th Century. [1] Powered by overshot wheel fed by launder from leat (MDE11438). No positive evidence of the wheelpit survives, though a large depression southwest of the Captain's house (MDE21389) is the probable site. [2] The crusher house survives as above, although condition looks unstable. [4] Bampfylde provides the only example of a 19th Century crusher installed specifically to crush iron ore. [5] Site of a square building shown on 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map with an irregular shaped building adjoining around the west and north sides with additional walls shown to the west. [7] There was a mill at Bamfylde Quarry for crushing stone and mining for copper, iron, lead and a small amount of gold. [8] The building was visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 3A. [9] The site of mid 1850s Berdan House within the Bampfylde mining area, a combined gold crusher and amalgamation plant. This is the only known example to have been built in England and its remains and associated process residues will be of high technological importance. However, it is doubtful whether any gold deposits were economicaly exploited, or that the plant was ever actually installed. [10] A ruined building is visible on aerial photographs taken during the 1940s in this area. It appears to consist of at least two rooms, and measures 11 metres long by 9 metres wide. It may represent the remains of Berdan House, or another building associated with Bampfylde Mine. The building is not visible on later photographs, but this may be due to increased vegetation coverage. [11-13] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [14] The building was assessed as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings 2018-19, receiving a BAR score of 4A. [15]