page_title: Laxey
section_title: Mining
hierarchical_section_title: Laxey / History / Mining
caption_attribution_description: English: In the background to the left there is the huge 'deads' pile of waste material. Nearer to the camera we get a good view of the water wheels and leats as well as the railway system at ground level. The house to the right of the tall chimney was Snaefell View, later to become the Laxey bus terminal. Beneath that is engine shed for the two small locomotives 'The Bee' and 'The Ant' which brought the ore from the mines out through the tunnel to the left of the engine shed and then tipped down for crushing and washing.
context_page_description: Laxey is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'. Its key distinguishing features are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwheel in the world. It is also the location of King Orry's Grave.
  The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road, and on the vintage Manx Electric Railway, and Snaefell Mountain Railway. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens; another glen, Dhoon Glen, is about 1​¹⁄₄ miles away. The Raad ny Foillan long distance coastal footpath, opened in 1986, runs along the coast of Laxey Bay through the village.
context_section_description: The Great Laxey Mine was a silver, lead ore and zinc mine. The mine reached a depth in excess of 2,200 ft (670 m) and consisted primarily of three shafts: the Welsh Shaft, the Dumbell's Shaft and the Engine Shaft, each of these shafts being connected by a series of levels. 
  There is no exact date for the startt of mining at Laxey, but by 1782 workings were being opened. The mine yielded zinc, silver ore, copper pyrites and hematite iron in significant quantities; and by the 1830s over 200 men were employed in the mines, the figure rising steadily until over 600 were employed by 1900.
  Following various short-term closures, by May 1929 rumours had begun to circulate about the future of the mine. By then, most of the miners had left, with many emigrating to South Africa, Australia or the United States of America. Continued flooding in the lower reaches of the mine combined with antiquated pumping machinery finally led to the end of mining operations at Laxey, and on the Isle of Man. However some of the spoil residue was brought to the washing floors to extract any remaining worth from it. It is thought that this continued until 1934, when all working finally ceased.
caption: The Washing Floor of the Great Laxey Mine
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