Mineral investigations in the Teign Valley, Devon. Part 1, barytes

Abstract

Geochemical studies in the Teign Valley, em?loying stream sediment and soil samples, have indicated extensions of barytes mineralisation some 2. 5 km north and 1.2 km south of the formerly mined strike length. Ba-Pb-Zn mineralisation is now known to extend over a total length of 12. 3 km and over a width rarely less than O. :; km, . though ore bodies large enough to be worked occur only intermittently within this belt. The part of the southern extension lying outside the Dartmoor National Park was investigated by a programme of deeper sampl~ng using a "'ltrac percussive drill to obtahl powdered rock sampt"t:o for assay. To the south of Hennock village a balytes-rich zone has been defined, some 1.2 km long and 260 m wide, within which narrower high-grade deposits are indicated.· Base metal analyses suggest that this barytes is relatively free from serious sulphide contaminants but, in some cases, the iron oxide ccntent is appreciable and the ore is highly discoloured