Cornwall's Mining Heritage

[knocker]

A reminder of the old days.

Edited September 7, 2010 by weather ship

[Andy H]

Nice pictures, sure one of those is in Beacon?

[knocker]

Not that far away. Marshall's is just off the main road between Beacon and Troon.

[r6 steve]

is one of them the pool engine house in is it? tesco or asda carpark opposite the other engine house? my nan lives in pool in between cambourne and redruth near south crofty too! i have a love affair with the engine houses soo iconic to cornwall!! love e,! and great pics!!

[knocker]

Yep. Taylor's engine house is behind Morrisons supermarket. They change hands regularly. Michell's is opposite. A view of the 90inch Cornish Beam Engine In Taylor's.

Edited September 7, 2010 by weather ship

[knocker]

Thought I'd better include one of South Crofty and the Roskear headframe as the latter has recently been removed so won't be seen again.

[knocker]

Some reminders of China Clay mining.

[knocker]

Old Sump engine house, Killefreth mine and the engine house on Tyack's shaft, Basset and Grylls mine.

[knocker]

The Kennall Gunpowder Works

The site was ideal, being close to the mines, roads and a potential labour force at Ponsanooth, but well screened from the latter by trees (in fact, many more trees were planted to minimise blast impact in the event of an accident, and some massive granite walls were built for the same purpose), and having an excellent power-supply in the form of the Kennall River. 'This river," wrote Hitchens and Drew in their "History of Cornwall", 1824, "from its source to its union with the sea runs about five miles and a half, in which short distance it turns thirty-nine water wheels all in active and full employ, It may be doubted, If within the same short distance another such stream can be found in England. "

The enterprise at Kennall Vale flourished. It began on quite a small scale at the lower end, near Kennall House, but in 1844 a new section was added above, in Roches Wood. In the 1860s it employed fifty or more men; but after that its fortunes waned along with those of the mines themselves, and the invention of dynamite and gelignite in the 1880s hastened its demise, although it did not close completely on this site till about 1914. Later, a quarry was opened near the top end, and the ruined concrete buildings near the quarry-pit, now flooded, are relics of this. Transport within the gunpowder works was by horse-and-cart. The safety-record of the works during the hundred years of existence was remarkably good. The few serious accidents were fully reported in the local press; the bestknown

one was caused by a spark on the clothing of a woman bringing hot food into a mixing-house.

A few snaps.

[Andy H]

Weather Ship, i was in Camborne last weekend, is that right they have closed the road from Tescos up to Beacon because of a mine collapsing?

[knocker]

Weather Ship, i was in Camborne last weekend, is that right they have closed the road from Tescos up to Beacon because of a mine collapsing?

Not that I know of. I think it's something to do with building a new sewer for the re-devepement of the old Holmans site.

[knocker]

I'll correct my previous answer. They were laying new sewers but came across a shaft. Apparently the found three on the development site. Surprise, surprise.

[knocker]

Cooks Kitchen Mine winding and pumping engine houses as seen from William's shaft.

[knocker]

A few snaps of Wheal Martyn Country Park Clay Museum.

Set in 26 acres of woodland, nestling in the historic Ruddle Valley on the outskirts of St Austell, the China Clay Country Park provides a fascinating day out for all the family. The Park, now part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, is set in the grounds of two former working china clay pits and provides visitors with a fascinating insight into china clay - how it was mined, what is was used for and what it meant for the families who lived in the area.

http://www.wheal-martyn.com/

Some notes.

Refining

From the top of the pit the clay slurry flowed down the hill through launders to this refing works. The slurry contained china clay, water, sand and mica. The aim of the refining works was to separate the clay from the mixture.

18ft water wheel

The wheel works a system of flat rods and cables transmitting the movement created by the wheel to the pump. It was erected on this site in 1902 and restored in 1976.

Monitor

By the 19020s hoses used to direct water on to the working area was common practice.

These hoses were developed into powerful remote controlled monitors.

Plunger Pump

These cast iron plunger pumps were used at Great Longstone China Clay Pit to pump clay and slurry from the bottom of a 150 foot shaft up to the works for refining and drying.

The plunger pump was developed by Richard Trevithick and was first used to lift water from Cornwall's tin and copper mines, powered by Cornish beam engines.

Diesel loco

The engine commenced its duties in 1946 and was employed shunting one ton trucks full of sand from Pentewan beech to the screens on the adjcent dockside for grading and washing. The cleaned sand was then used for the manufacture of various concrete products.

[Dorsetbred]

A few snaps of Wheal Martyn Country Park Clay Museum.

Set in 26 acres of woodland, nestling in the historic Ruddle Valley on the outskirts of St Austell, the China Clay Country Park provides a fascinating day out for all the family. The Park, now part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, is set in the grounds of two former working china clay pits and provides visitors with a fascinating insight into china clay - how it was mined, what is was used for and what it meant for the families who lived in the area.

http://www.wheal-martyn.com/

Diesel loco

The engine commenced its duties in 1946 and was employed shunting one ton trucks full of sand from Pentewan beech to the screens on the adjcent dockside for grading and washing. The cleaned sand was then used for the manufacture of various concrete products.

Nice reminder of my visit this summer to the museum with the ruston taking centre place.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Dorsetbred

[knocker]

Nice reminder of my visit this to the museum with the ruston taking centre place.

It's well worth a visit as you no doubt will agree but it's struggling to get people through the turnstiles. I suspect because the Eden Project is just down the road.

[Dorsetbred]

It's well worth a visit as you no doubt will agree but it's struggling to get people through the turnstiles. I suspect because the Eden Project is just down the road.

Yeah, I suppose it does have a bit a dedicated audience which is a pity because if people could take the time out it's great few hours of historical interest. My wife had a great tea and scones there for such a

great price, and I managed to collect some more book on clay mining to add to my collection.

Well worth the time for a visit I think, and I much preferred it to the Eden project.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Dorsetbred

[knocker]

Mining was a dangerous occupation. In Cornwall boys as young as seven worked down the mines in the 19th century. Unlike in coal mines girls didn't go underground. In most of the mines the only way up and down was by climbing ladders; a quite exhausting business.

One story tells of a young lad who worked down the mines with his father and was too weak to climb up at the end of a shift and had to be carried up on his fathers shoulders.

A stroll around the graveyards in Cornwall is a stark reminder of human cost of mining. The photo is a headstone in Camborne Parish Church graveyard for three young lads aged 9, 7 and 5 who were killed by a gunpowder explosion at the great Dolcoath Mine in 1868.

Edited April 12, 2012 by weather ship

[knocker]

Robinson's Engine House was part of South Crofty tin mine. It began operations in 1905 and ceased in the 50s. It still retains the Cornish Beam Engine. The site is now part of the designated World Heritage area and as such has recently been developed as a show piece to illustrate the mining heritage of Cornwall. This cost £35m and I have to say I'm completely underwhelmed. It not only fails in its intent but how earth this cost that amount is beyond me. Someone's pockets have been well lined.

Anyway a few snaps of the engine house, the massive winder and the man riding cage. The latter could carry up to 16 men down the shaft which reached a depth of 2.000 feet. Also the great engineer Richard Trevithick lived adjacent to the site at one time. His house has has long gone but there is a memorial to him where it had been.

Edited July 12, 2012 by knocker

[shedhead]

Cornwall's mining heritage is something that fails to get anywhere near to recognition it deserves imo. Without doubt the Cornish effectively brought mining to the world, indeed the old saying goes “Wherever there is a hole in the earth, you will find a Cornishman at the bottom of it†and that often proved to be precisely the case!

Edited July 13, 2012 by shedhead

[knocker]

Certainly hard rock mining. As you say any where in the world but in particular South America, United States, Australia and especially South Africa. In Miineral Point, Wisconcin they hold an annual week long Cornish Feste.

Coal mining was another matter unless they were brought in to break strikes in the north east!! Just to add you wouldn't have seen many palm trees around the mine in the old days.

Edited July 13, 2012 by knocker

[shedhead]

Palm trees no, but hundreds of palms yes, I know which I'd still prefer to see.

[knocker]

Great Work Mine is situated on the metal rich saddle of land between the two outcrops of Godolphin Hill and Tregonning Hill. The original workings date from the early sixteenth century. There is an historical account by John Leland in about 1538 that 'There are no greater Tynne workes yn al Cornwal than be on Sir Wylliam Godolcan's Ground'. This indicates that the land was leased from Sir William Godolphin - the mineral lord - an ancestor of the very influential Godolphin Family. Other records show that the mine was employing as many as 3000 people in 1584. At one time there were many engine houses but only the house on Leed's Shaft still stands. Just.