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 Mrs Elizabeth Cox, the Trust is the owner of the relevant mineral rights of and the study centre at the 18th 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 io subjects relevant to the minerals industry. For many years up to the foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001, such courses were run at Ecton by a number of organisations of which the leading one was the Ecton Hill Field Studies Association.
This Association of enthusiastic volunteer schoolteachers is now once again in action, as can be seen from our Calendar page. Their courses take into account the latest changes in the national school science cuniculum, and involve both surface and underground geology, mineral identification and mineral separation. A safe level underground area reached through an adit is used for part of the instruction. Ecton has the capacity for at least 500 students a year to take part in its courses.
The Trust is grateful for the support of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining who look forward to using the Trust's facilities to support its own schools Affiliate Scheme, which aims to excite young people to the importance of careers in its fields, and in which there are 32O schools.
Located in beautiful countryside, Ecton is also interesting for environmental studies.
The mine is available for other study purposes in line with the Trust's objectives:
to preserve, for the benefit of the public, Ecton Mine and all its shafrs and adits
The Trust has been refurbishing the buildings on the site, and there is an ongoing programme to improve the facities as funds permit. It is now named "The G A Cox study centre" in memory of Ecton's former owner who worked for many years to make the minerals industry interesting and attractive to voung people.
Work has been carried out to secure 40 shafts and adits within the Trust's mineral ownership on the Ecton hillside, most of which is open Access land. These are fenced, fitted with warning notices and are regularly inspected.
The Trust would not be able to function without the support of its corporate members: Anglo American plc and Rio Tinto plc and its institutional members as well as the many volunteers who offer their valuable time to promote the Trust's objectives.
Ecton Mine Educational Trust is a company Limited by Guarantee No. 555044
Commercial organisations, industry associations, professional institutions and individuals are invited to become members of the Trust. A corporate annual membership fee is £2,500 (minimum), while the annual fee for Institutions is £1,000, and £50 for individuals.