Perranzabuloe Mining District - Wheal Chiverton

OS Explorer Map 106: Grid reference SW797512

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Wheal Chiverton, also known as Cornubian Mine lies about one and threequarter miles southeast of Perranzabuloe in the Perranzabuloe Mining District. Situated just to the east of West Wheal Chiverton, the mine worked two lodes - Main Lode and Caunter Lode from a number of shafts including Cockney's Shaft, Murray's Shaft, Footway Shaft, Old Shaft, Old Engine Shaft, Clifford's Shaft and Stainsby's Shaft

A good account of the state of Wheal Chiverton in the mid 1860's comes from Thomas Spargo's book of 1865, entitled 'Statistics and Observations on the Mines of Cornwall and Devon'. He writes '... in Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, in 3,000 shares. Purser, Mr. Rd. Clogg, Liskeard. Manager, Captain James Juliff, Truro. Landowner, J. T. H. Peter, Esq. Dues, l-18th. Depth of adit, 12 fathoms ; depth below, 86 fathoms, but the mine is clear only to the 60 fathom level. Pumping-engine, 60-inch. Winding and capstan-engine, 22-inch. Rock, clay-slate. 30 men, 1 female, and 4 boys employed. No returns in 1864.

This mine is the central part of what was about 20 years ago called "Cornubian Mines," which included East and West Chiverton; but at that time the lodes had not been worked in either of those mines; the operations were confined to the ground close to Chiverton House. The present Company, which was formed in 1862, expected to find the engine-shaft clear, or nearly so, to the bottom, but instead of that they found it fallen in; a circumstance which has delayed the development of the lodes in the bottom. No doubt is entertained of success, because the rich lodes of West Chiverton are operated on near the western boundary of this mine. The discoveries at West Chiverton have had the effect of setting to work many mines in the neighbourhood, as was the case 20 years ago in the East Wheal Rose district'

Records of production at Cornubian Mine were: 1,126 tons of lead ore in 1835 to 1839, 643 tons of of lead ore in 1842 and 420 tons of 60% lead ore in 1845. Between 1868 and 1872 it produced 850 tons of 74% lead ore and 22,120 ounces of silver.

Now that 'World Heritage' status has been achieved Cornwall in Focus will monitor developments and learn how the mines of the Perranzabuloe Mining District fare within the overall Mining framework.

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