Bedford United mine is situated on the eastern bank of the river Tamar, just off of the main Gunnislake to Tavistock road. Bedford United Mine, Tavistock Hamlets produced other copper arsenate minerals such as Clinoclase and Olivenit. The Tavistock Canal was a prime energy source for mines such as Bedford United well into the 20th Century.
Lodes in the Tavistock Hamlets area are mainly sulphide-carrying with large amounts of copper, arsenic ores and pyrite being recovered. Some tin was also found in the area. Recorded outputs date from 1845 to 1928 and includes records of tin, copper, pyrite, arsenopyrite, wolfram and fluorite.
The mine is on private property and permission to access must be obtained from the landowners. It is unlikely that permission to go underground will be given.
1844 the start of Bedford United BEDFORD UNITED MINING COMPANY. The directors of the Bedford United Mining Company hereby give notice, that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the shareholders will be held at the office , 51, Old Broad Street, on Thursday, the 29th day of February 1844, at one o’clock precisely, for the purpose required by the regulations endorsed in the script certificates. London, February, 10th.1844
1877 - 1881 Goldsworthy, Richard* Bedford United (Devonshire) Chief Agent
1889 the end of Bedford United. Tavistock Gazette 21st June, 1889 The ordinary general meeting will be held on Tuesday next 25th June, at the London office, after which an extraordinary meeting will be held to consider the expediency of winding up the company voluntarily. In view of the latter contingency the Directors have issued the following report:- In submitting to the members of the Bedford United Mining Company, Limited, their usual half yearly report, the directors have pleasure in stating that, although the operations at the mine in the last seven months have been on a limited scale. Owing to the want of further capital, they have every assurance that so far as can be seen there is every prospect of opening up a paying concern with the needful funds at their command. The further application for debentures was not responded to so generously as your directors had hoped, consequently the liabilities of the company have much increased. Under these circumstances they have thoroughly considered the best course to pursue to save the mine, and have arrived at the conclusion to call an extraordinary meeting of members to discuss the propriety of winding up the affairs of the present company, voluntarily, with the view to the formation of a new company, and to raise, if possible, the capital needed to develop the mine on a mono liberal scale. The directors much regret the alterative, but for the moment see no other course to adopt. As the price of copper is improving, it is greatly to be desired that the present proprietary will concur in the measures proposed by the Board, and that they will yet render the necessary assistance for re-working the sett in such a manner as the property really deserves. The directors have not lost confidence in the mine; on the other hand, they believe that a moderate outlay, judiciously expended, would lay open the mine to the advantage of all interested.