MMO329 - Hand's Shaft and footway shaft, Bampfylde Mine (Monument)

SS 734 328. Hand's Shaft, Bampfylde Mine. Hand's Shaft and its associated footway shaft were the entrances to a series of workings on the North Lode below the 20 fathom level. The deepest is shown on an 1868 Inventory at 43 fathoms (258 feet) below the surface, but Hand's Shaft only went directly to 36 fathoms (216 feet) and the footway shaft only went to 20 fathoms directly, before continuing to 36 fathoms by a further shaft 3 fathoms to the west. Both shafts have been filled but are still visible due to spoil heaps nearby. [1,2] The 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map shows that the site has been infilled. [3] The site of a small curvilinear depression shown on the 1st and 2nd Edition maps on the eastern side of the field boundary. [3,4] A disused shaft head at SS 7338 3278 is indicated by spoil mounds 1.3 metres high adjacent to a field boundary. The precise position of the shaft is marked by a slight hollow 0.4 metres deep and 1.3 metres in diameter. [5,6] The spoil heap is clearly visible on aerial photographs as described above, and a slight hollow, possibly the remains of a shaft can also be seen on the western side of the mound. It is depicted but not annotated on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map, suggesting it was not in use when the map was published in 1890. The feature lies approximately 200 metres southeast of shafts associated with Bampfylde Mine, as may be associated with activity here. [7-9] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [10]