Lignite was worked around Bovey Tracey in Devon. It formed in the Lower Miocene epoch, of the Neogene Period, between 23 and 15.9 Mya, and was worked here intermittently until 1945.
The beds of lignite which have been mined sporadically since the early 16th century, were formed in the bed of an ancient lake, which was mined by opencast methods.
Further information:
- Pengelly, W. & Heer, O. On the lignite formation of Bovey Tracey, Devonshire (Nabu Press, 2010). Reprint from Philosophical Transactions, Part II, 1862.
- Devon County Council Website
