Mines of the Illogan Area - Wheal Emily Henrietta

OS Explorer 104: Grid Ref. SW654421

View Larger Map

Wheal Emily Henrietta lies next to East Wheal Seton on Tolvaddon Downs threequarters of a mile north-northwest of Camborne. This small and unsuccessful copper mine was formerly known as Tolvaddon Mine. Tolvaddon Mine worked in the late eighteenth century closing initially during the Great Copper Slump caused by the discovery of Parys Mountain in the 1780's. It remained idle for the next 30 years. In late 1860, the mine was re-opened by a company led by J. F. Penrose. The mine was leased from the Basset family and named after Mrs. Emily Henrietta Basset. The mine was worked in conjunction with East Wheal Seton.

The mine worked Main Lode from Penrose's Engine Shaft, West (Flat Rod) Shaft and Angove's Shaft. Equipment at the mine included a 50-inch pumping engine with a 10-foot stroke on Penrose's Engine Shaft and a 18-inch winding engine, some time later a 24-inch compound winding and crushing engine was purchased. Against an overall investment of £21,492, production was never sufficient with only 1,823 tons of 7.5% copper ore produced between 1862 and 1871, a little zinc and some pyrites. The mine was advertised for sale in April 1873.

For more information on production dates and so on please see Roger Burt's excellent book Cornish Mines: Metalliferous and Associated Minerals, 1845-1913 (Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom, 1845-1913).

For more in depth information on Wheal Emily Henrietta and its neighbouring mines please purchase a copy of the excellent Cornwall's Central Mines: Northern District, 1810-95 by T. A. Morrison.

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