INTERESTED people in West Devon are being invited to help carry out vital conservation work at the site of the last tin mine to be worked on Dartmoor.

Help Dartmoor National Park archaeologist Andy Crabb and the Forestry Commission on Tuesday, February 12 to carry out conservation work at Golden Dagger Mine.

Using bowsaws, loppers and small hand tools, vegetation will be cleared back around the old miners’ dry and important archeology will be marked off ahead of planned forestry operations.

A spokesperson for Dartmoor National Park said: ‘The miners’ dry was constructed sometime between 1865 and 1905 to provide a modicum of comfort for the tin miners who toiled away, both above and below ground, at Golden Dagger Mine. The mine is believed to have been in existence by around 1806, although the name first appears around 1850. Work here finally halted in 1930.

‘The structure is now ruinous. The building is sub-divided into three rooms and there is evidence for fireplaces. One of the rooms may have served as a blacksmith’s shop. Within the other rooms the mine workers would have changed clothing, rested and possibly had their meals. The miners’ dry is one of a range of industrial buildings in the area that directly relate to the tin mine. Other buildings include the engine house and Dinah’s House, which encompassed the main office and accommodation for the miners. Other structures include wheel pits and dressing floors where the ore was processed.’

This volunteer task is part of the Moor than Meets the Eye Landscape Partnership which is helping people to learn about Dartmoor’s past and conserve it for future generations. It is supported by Historic England, the Forestry Commission, Dartmoor National Park Authority, Moor Than Meets The Eye and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

There will be a 1km/15-minute walk to the work site in Soussons Plantation. Wear suitable clothes for a day on the moor and bring a picnic lunch and drink. Meet at the car park opposite the Warren House Inn, Postbridge at 10am. The day is planned to finish at 3pm.

For more information and to book a place, email [email protected]

The picture shows Moor Than Meets the Eye volunteers at a prehistoric site in Bellever Plantation.