AN audience of 120 gathered at The Wharf, Tavistock, on March 9 to listen to a lunchtime lecture presented by the mining historian Rick Stewart.

Rick's subject was Devon Great Consols mine, a subject he spent a decade researching and which culminated in autumn 2013 with the publication of his book 'Devon Great Consols, a mine of mines'.

Between 1844 and 1902 Devon Great Consols became the largest copper producer and subsequently the largest arsenic producer in the world.

During this period the miners drove miles of underground levels, sunk deep shafts, erected steam pumping and winding engines, dug miles of watercourses, erected giant waterwheels and built a four and a half mile long railway to the port of Morwellham where it greatly extended the docks. 

The mine, at its peak, provided direct employment for 1,200 workers and many hundreds more indirectly, contributing significantly to the prosperity of West Devon and East Cornwall during the second half of the 19th century. That said there were lows as well as highs in the life of the mine and Rick outlined the labour disputes and strikes of the 1860s and 1870s arising from falling wages which were a consequence of falling copper prices and rising production costs.

Whilst the talk largely concentrated on 19th century mining, Rick was able to trace the mine's antecedents back to late medieval tin works on the site.  Bringing the subject up to date the audience learnt about activity on the mine during the 20th century when a surprising variety of minerals, including arsenic, copper, tin and tungsten, were produced both underground and from the mine's extensive waste dumps.

Many members of the audience were surprised to learn that economic mineral recovery on the mine only ceased in 1978 — well within living memory.

The talk concluded with a lively question and answer session followed by tea and cakes.