It is likely that the date back to the 16th century. By 1758, the Macclesfield Copper Company were mining the rich lode known as the Bonsor Vein at Coniston. Some of the shafts are extremey deep with depths over 300 feet recorded by explorers. It was left to a John Tayor who in 1825 drove Deep Level which can still be seen. Incredibly the workings eventually went to a depth of 540 feet in the 19th century. The mines eventually closing down by about 1900. Abridged from http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/copper.htm