Metalliferous mineralisation near Lutton, Ivybridge, Devon

To the north-west of Slade Hall localised uranium
and base metal mineralisation has been traced by
radiometric and geochemical soil surveys. It is
confmed to two narrow structures in a fault zone
trending NW-SE and at surface it has a strike
length of no more than 200 m. Percussive drilling
down to the shallow water table indicated
persistence of the secondary metalliferous minerals
but narrow diameter cored drilling failed to intersect
any recognisable well-mineralised structure at
a depth of only 50 m. It remains uncertain whether
a small ore shoot exists below the surface
anomalies; if so, it must be presumed to pitch
south-eastwards.
Only oxidised, and possibly enriched, mineralisation
has been sampled; this yielded a little
cassiterite, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and
covellite, abundant hydrated iron and manganese
oxides with adsorbed uranium, lead, bismuth, zinc,
copper and arsenic, and flakes of secondary
uranium and silver minerals. Radiometry confirmed
gross uranium disequilibrium.