Boscean

Grid reference SW364321

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Boscean Mine is situated 800m northwest of St. Just on the western side of the Nancherrow or Kenidjack Valley. Wheal Drea lies 200 metres to the east whilst Wheal Owles, Wheal Boys, Goldings Mine and Wheal Cunning all lie within a 500metre radius. Between the years of 1852-72 Boscean Mine included Goldings mine and was amalgamated into Wheal Cunning United in 1873. The main lodes of this mine were Pool, Rowe's, South and Great Boscean with the following shafts: Brown's, Coulson's and New.

What is unusual about Boscean Mine, is that its lodes run north to south instead of the more normally found northwest to southeast alignment. It should be noted that the lodes continue under the Botallack Sett also. John Norden wrote about the mine in 1584 but little is then known until the mid nineteenth century when various historians state that the mine was quite a large concern running over seven steam engines.

According to information provided by Roger Burt in his excellent book Cornish Mines: Metalliferous and Associated Minerals, 1845-1913 (Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom, 1845-1913) its most productive years were between 1854 and 1860, with black tin raised in 1856 to the value of £21,565.

For those of you with possibly a little more time to explore, once you've done 'the tourist bit', why not explore Cornwall's industrial heritage through its Tin and Copper Mines or learn more from my Cornish Bookstore