Foxdale Mines
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Foxdale, Isle of Man |
| Country | Isle of Man, British Isles |
| Coordinates | 54°10′09″N 4°38′22″W / 54.1693°N 4.6394°WCoordinates: 54°10′09″N 4°38′22″W / 54.1693°N 4.6394°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Silver ore, Lead ore, Zinc |
| History | |
| Opened | 1828 |
| Closed | 1911 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Isle of Man Mining Company |
The Foxdale Mines is a collective term for a series of mines and shafts which were situated in a highly mineralised zone on the Isle of Man, running east to west, from Elerslie mine in Crosby to Niarbyl on the coast near Dalby.In the 19th Century the mines were widely regarded as amongst the richest ore mines in the British Isles.
The origin of mining in the Isle of Man is not recorded, however there is evidence of workings at Bradda Head dating from ancient times. Ore had been extracted by a method referred to as plug and feather or "feather wedges," which indicates that the workings date from before the introduction of gun powder into Europe.
The first recorded mining operation was in 1246, when Norse Kings ruled the Isle of Man, and King Harald II granted a charter to the monks of Furness Abbey.
By the mid 19th Century the Isle of Man was one of the leading lead producing districts in Britain and more zinc was produced from the Island's mines than all the mines in Britain combined.
Workings in the area of Foxdale date from 1724 when Lord Derby granted permission for the extraction of ore to begin. Initial results were somewhat mixed but work continued spasmodically until in 1848 when it is reported that 400 miners were in the employ of the mines and had uncovered a great mass of ore which could be easily extracted.Output continued to increase;3,753 tons of lead ore yielding 2,725 tons of lead was mined on the Island in 1856 of which Foxdale Mines contributed 2,535 tons generating a profit of £11,200. For the same period profit from the Great Laxey Mine amounted to £1,000. In 1875 11,898 tons of zinc blende was extracted, in 1877 186,019 ounces of silver and by 1891 the produce of the Foxdale Mines amounted to £45,200.
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