It was the large copper riches found at South Caradon Mine that were responsible for the development of the Caradon Mining District. South Caradon Mine eventually worked from 1837 to 1885.Over a period of fifty years its copper output ranked third out of all mines in Cornwall
Caradon Hill is a great granite dome which towers over the surrounding countryside. All round the base of Caradon Hill there are the remains of engine houses, chimney stacks and waste rock tips. You can also see the old track of the Liskeard and Caradon Railway, built to carry ore from the mines at Caradon to the port of Looe.
The success of the South Caradon Mine sparked a number of other mines being opened, many with the magic word "Caradon" in their title. They were trying to tap the same lodes as South Caradon. A practice that became known as "market mining". Mines that sprung up were never hugely sucessful, and tthese included:-
* Caradon Consols
* Caradon Vale
* Caradon Mine
* East Caradon
* Glasgow Caradon Consols
* Great Caradon
* New West Caradon
* New South Caradon
* West Caradon Mine
* Wheal Caradon Mine
Of these mines East Caradon, West Caradon and Glasgow Caradon proved to be the more successful.