MSO8962 - Gupworthy Old Pit (Monument)

Owned by the Brendon Hills Iron Ore Company. It was begun in 1858 and expanded with the extension of the railway in 1862-3. It briefly closed in 1879 and re-opened in 1881, being worked until 1885. The drying house still stood in 1984.

"Gupworthy Old Pit, disused" is marked on Ordnance Survey maps of 1904 and 1962. [1,2] The mine was owned by the Brendon Hills Iron Ore Company and was begun in 1858 but expanded with the extension of the railway in 1862-3. The underground pumping and winding engine was replaced by a surface engine. By 1867 main drift was 260ft with 10 levels. It was closed in 1879 but re-opened reaching a maximum depth of 461ft in 1881. It closed again in 1885, although there was some 20th Century re-working. Air shaft at SS96823524, main shaft at SS96673531 and engine house at SS96673532. Railway ran close to mine with siding. Spoil heap on south side of the line crossed by raised tramway. Powder magazine at SS96383528. The buildings were robbed for stone in 1907. [3,4] Most of the buildings are ruinous having been robbed for stone. Only the drying house was standing in 1984 and was evidence as a mortared stone slate-roofed structure. The spoil heap was in the process of removal and there was little other trace of workings. [5] Located at SS 9655 3527 is an area of disturbed ground in the region of the above mentioned Gupworthy Old Pit. The features were seen as slight earthworks and mapped from aerial photographs. [6-10] Gupworthy Mine shaft is located adjacent to the West Somerset Mineral Railway line, centred on circa SS 96673531. The pumping and winding engine house was located immediately to the north but has now been demolished, only three anchor bolts remaining on site. [11] Gupworthy Mine was the first opened on the Brendon Hills spathic ore deposits. [12] Initial smelting trials of ore extracted at Gupworthy by Lethbridge took place at Dowlais and Tredegarin south Wales in 1848. Both companies declined to take further ore and additional trials did not take place until 1852. [13] The remains of Gupworthy Old Pit consist of the shaft head now capped with concrete in the garden of a private house, at approximately SS 9667 3532. To the south, at SS 9666 3527, was a massive spoil heap adjacent to the WSMR. That has now been removed and no trace of it survives. [14] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [15] The mine is mentioned in a publication on the industrial archaeology of Somerset. [16]