Ecton is a historic mining area, once one of the foremost mines in the British Isles, now a Scheduled Monument and a valuable educational resource.

The Ecton Mine Educational Trust has been formed with the principal aim of promoting education in applied geology, mining and mineral extraction. Thanks to the generosity of the late Mrs Elizabeth Cox, the Trust is the owner of the relevant mineral rights of, and the study centre at, the l8th century Ecton Copper Mines in the Peak District National Park.

The Trust provides the facilities for school and university teachers to run one-day or two-day field courses that introduce young people to subjects relevant to the minerals industry.

See here for further information about the Trust.

Why is Ecton so important and historic?
From Bronze Age times, the copper and lead deposits on Ecton Hill were worked for over 3500 years, ceasing in 1891. During this time fortunes were made and lost. In the 18th century the Duke of Devonshire made a profit of over £300 000, said to have financed the building of the magnificent crescent in Buxton. Total ore production is estimated at over 100 000 tonnes, mainly of copper ore.

The whole area is a site of special scientific Interest (SSSI), and the Ecton mine itself is an underground SSSI. The rock exposures at nearby Ape's Tor provide outstanding opportunities for the study of geological structures, which can then be seen again underground in Salt's Level