An old abandoned Silver-Lead mine (some copper and arsenic were also retreived) just outside Mary Tavy on Dartmoor between Okehampton & Tavistock,
pictured really nice May evening light. Its chimney nowadays has a very distinctive leaning-tower look about it.
People have been mining here for a very long time and Wheal Betsy was actually reopened in 1806 and worked sucessfully for the next seventy years.
The engine house is the most complete such relic on the moor. It was powered by water until 1868, when the minehouse in the picture
was erected to house a Cornish Beam pumping engine. Until its closure in 1877 all pumping, winding and crushing was caried out by steam power.
90 years later (1967) the ruined engine house and stack were acquired and made safe by the National Trust as a memorial to the mining industry on Dartmoor.

Map Ref: (SX 510812) There are spoil tips, dry channels and shafts surrounding it so take care when visiting.


Although the minehouse is literally 100 metres from the side of the A386 road, parking is practically non-existent, (just one car space by the mine itself) but there is a slightly larger space further up towards Okehampton on the opposite side. I often feel the the Authority ought to do something about providing better parking access for this important mining site. It's all very well keeping the moor exclusively for walkers who are of a mind to visit interesting places no matter how difficult they are to reach. However, Dartmoor is a shared resource and easy access to it should not be denied to those either less able or those who have yet to discover its charms. Obviously no-one wants to see a rash of car parks, but at places like this which were once heavily used by people, it surely would cause little harm and do a lot of good in terms of bringing greater awareness of our heritage.
Much more information may be found at this interesting website: http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/lean_tow.htm