Ecton Hill contained a massive vertical pipe-vein rich in copper ore, and in their heyday in the late 18th century the mines were the richest in the country. (information from www.cressbrook.co.uk) Profits from the Ecton mines paid for the palatial developments at Chatsworth House and for the building of The Crescent in Buxton. The mining enterprise closed down in 1889 leaving a legacy of spoil heaps and abandoned workings on Ecton Hill. The latter was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1990. (information from www.oxford-ougs.fsnet.co.uk)