Christow: grid reference SX839830

Notable minerals: Chalcopyrite & Galena.

Wheal Exmouth lies just to the north of Frank Mills Mine, about 1.5 miles south of Christow on the eastern fringes of Dartmoor. Including Wheal Adams and Wheal Amery, the mine is thought to date from the mid 1820's working until about 1875. It produced lead, silver and some zinc ore.

The 1856 Post Office Directory reported that: 'Wheal Exmouth and Adams United Mine is in the township and parish of Christow, union of St Thomas's, Exeter, hundred of Exeter, Devon, within the bounds of the manor of Lord Exmouth and of Messrs. Adams, and Duchy of Cornwall, and mining district of River Teign; it is situated 10 miles from the town of Exeter. The nearest shipping place for ores and machinery is at Teignmouth, 14 miles from the mine, and the nearest railway station is at Newton Abbott, 10 from the mine. The mine is held under leases for 30 years, at a royalty of 1-13th, granted by Lord Exmouth and Messrs. Adams, of this parish. The country is schist and clayslate, and the dip easterly. The cleavage of the clayslate is oblique to the vein. The nearest granite is half a mile distant; a continuation of the Dartmoor range. The lode is traversed by a series of elvan courses or trap dikes, and an angle of the lode of about 33°, and runs northeast and south-west. There is local confusion near some of the hills. The known lodes on the sett are diversified and peculiar. The mine is a mass of mineralised ground, varying from 10 to 100 feet in width, containing splinters of rich veins. The lode in total runs 10° east of north, and dips from 1 to 3 feet in the fathom, easterly; it consists of a variety of earthy matter and mineral. The known crosscourses are elvan courses, bounded by trap westerly. There have been seven shafts sunk. The principal shaft is sunk nearly 80 fathoms. There are the following levels in this shaft:—The 10 fathom level is driven 100 fathoms north and south; this is the only shaft worked in the mine. There are four levels driven (10, 20, 30, 40 under edit) about 100 fathoms in length. The machinery and plant are the best in the West of England. The mine is situated close to the seat of Viscount Exmouth; the buildings are all of an ornamental description and have a fine appearance. The mine is worked by two steam-engines; one of 220 h.p. on the Exmouth property, and one of 45 h.p. on the Adams property, and a winding-machine and a steam-crusher each of 30 h.p.; a 70-inch cylinder pumping-engine of 12 feet stroke, even beam, and a 30-inch cylinder pumping-engine of 8 feet stroke, even beam; the drawing machine is 22-inch cylinder, 9 feet stroke in the piston, and 7 feet stroke out of the house. The crushing-engine was formerly used on the South Devon atmospheric railway, a 22-inch cylinder, 3 feet stroke, even beam. The mine is drained by the pumping-engines. The minerals found in this sett include silver, lead, and a small portion of copper. This mine was first opened and worked by different parties about twenty years ago by a Tavistock company, and afterwards by a London company. It was afterwards worked by Messrs. May and Bidwell, under the name of Wheat Exmouth and Adams United. This mine is now worked for silver-lead. The produce in 1851 was low; in 1854, 100 tons of ore a month; in 1855, 110 tons of ore a month, about 70 per cent, of which is metal. The company is on the costbook system, and consists of 5,700 shares of £10 each, with £4 14s. paid. The dividend in October, 1855, was 2s. 6d. per share. The purser is Joseph Green Bidwell, of Exeter; the captain is James Hampton; the secretary is Charles Westcomb, of Exeter; the offices are at 21 Southernhay, Exeter'.

Production records report that between 1851 and 1874 it raised 11,533 tons of 65% lead ore and 135,220 ounces of silver. Between 1859 and 1873 - 1,561 tons of zinc ore were also produced. As Wheal Adams (1810-1874) and merging with Wheal Exmouth in 1852 - 1,475 tons of 55% lead ore and 680 ounces of silver.