Completion of the restoration work on the balance cone at the historic Ecton Copper Mines in the Staffordshire Moorlands means that the site has been removed from Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk Register’. The mines were worked for over 3,500 years, closing in 1891.

The Ecton Mines are a complex site, which includes a scheduled monument and falls within two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it was once one of the deepest mine in England, using cutting edge 18th century technology to extract copper ore from depths of up to 300 metres below the River Manifold. Conservtaion work has concetrated on the balance cone. This housed a counterbalance to support some of the weight of the winding rope and reduce the load on the Boulton and Watt steam-powered winding engine installed in 1788, for which the engien house survives.

Archaeologists from the Peak District National Park Authority worked alongside partners, including Ecton Mine Educational Trust, Ecton Hill Field Studies Association and Historic England to guide the conservation project. Funding allowed a multi-disciplinary feasibility study to understand the structural integrity of the Ecton balance cone, its archaeological complexity and its importance for wildlife.

Anna Badcock, cultural heritage team manager at the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “It is fantastic to see the removal of Ecton copper mines from the national Heritage at Risk Register. This project is a perfect example of a complex site that delivers important benefits for cultural and natural landscapes and really shows what can be achieved through working in partnership.”

For more details follow this link: https://ectonmine.org.uk/noticeboard