Ecton Hill Copper Mine

Ecton Hill was acquired by the National Trust in order to protect the area for the nation.

The geology of the hill has meant that it is a source of high-grade copper ore which has been mined in the area as long ago as the Bronze Age.

The Ecton Hill Copper Mine at one time was the deepest worked mine in Britain. The height of its production was in the 18th Century when it was in the ownership of the Dukes of Devonshire.

The buildings at the top of the shaft once housed the mine’s winding engine which is believed to be one of the oldest in the world.