Buckingham Mine, Somerset
at Dodington, near Nether Stowey, west Somerset.
This was a copper mine started in 1786 for the Duke of Buckingham, whose agent there was William Jenkin. Samuel and Matthew Grose were involved in the mining. Copper ore was shipped from Combwich (on the River Parret) to Swansea. The mine closed in 1801, but reopened in 1817 when a Boulton and Watt pumping engine was installed at Beech Grove. The engine was moved to Glebe Shaft in 1820, but the mine closed shortly after. The walls of the engine house can still be seen.[1]
1822 advertisement: 'Buckingham Mine, Dodington, near Nether Stowey, Somerset.
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION. ON THE PREMISES, WITHOUT RESERVE, by R. DOWN,
On Tuesday, the 20th day of August, 1822,
The whole of the IMPLEMENTS and MATERIALS of the Mine ; consisting of a capital Beam engine, (Bolton and Walt’s single.) 46 inch cylinder, or, about 52 horse power, with cast iron Bob about 12 tons, parallel motion, &c. two wrought iron Boilers, each 20 feet long, and 5 feet diameter, with tubes through them, very good ; firebars, doors, &c. about 30 fathoms of 10 inch pumps, 7 fathoms of 13 inch do. with iron and wooden rods, boxes, clacks, &c. two 8 inch and two 10 inch workings, with clack door pieces and windbores, three good whims, ropes. &c. three capstans, with 8 and 14 inch ropes, one hundred and twenty fathoms of flat rods, with triangles, pendulums, Etc. several tons of screwed bolts, yokes, and other useful iron materials; three pairs of forge bellows, two anvils, smiths' csrpenters’ and miners' tools, three iron blocks, with brass sheaves, three pairs of large wooden blocks, scales, beams, weights, &c. whim kibbals, barrows, &c. dressing materials, together with a variety of other articles.
Further particulars may be known by applying to Mr. Francis Mitchell. Engineer, Redruth, Cornwall); Mr. John Price, Nether Stowey, (who will appoint persons to shew the Engine, &c.) or to R. Down, Auctioneer, Bridgwater, Somerset.
The Sale will begin at Eleven o'clock in the Forenoon
Catalogues specifying the different lots, may be obtained of Mr. John Price, Nether Stowey, and of the Auctioneer, Bridgwater, one week previous to the Sale. Dated July 8, 1822.'[2]