St Agnes Mines - Wheal Friendly

OS Explorer Map 104: Grid reference SW720512

View Larger Map

Otherwise known as West Wheal Pink, Wheal Friendly was a tin mine situated just to the north of St. Agnes on the western side of Trevaunance Coombe, the valley leading down to the sea at Trevaunance Cove. It was part of the West Wheal Kitty group of mines. Wheal Friendly itself worked four main lodes. They were: Pink Lode, West Kitty Lode, Wheal Kitty Lode and Lead Vein. Shafts on the sett included: Wheal Friendly Shaft, Pink Shaft and Primrose Shaft. There are few records on Wheal Friendly apart from the fact that it was at work in the 1820's and produced 160 tons of high grade copper ore (10% grade) between 1823 and 1825. It also raised and sold 42 tons of black tin between 1855 and 1895.

Mining historian Thomas Spargo writes in his report of 1865 entitled 'The mines of Cornwall and Devon: Statistics and Observations' that Wheal Friendly, was
'... in St. Agnes, Cornwall. Purser, Mr. Henry Borrow, Truro. Manager, Captain James Evans, Nance, Illogan. Mineral Owner, Duke of Cornwall. Dues, 1-18th. Depth of mine, 20 fathoms under adit, which is 60 fathoms deep. 20 men, 8 females, and 3 boys employed. No steam power. There are 3 water stamping-mills, lifting 15 heads.
Like Trevaunance, which it adjoins, this mine is not worked under adit, which is as deep as many mines where steam pumping power is used. 60 fathom backs will give work for a long period; the Company have already worked many years'.

'World Heritage' status has been gained for this area. Cornwall in Focus are waiting to see just how Wheal Friendly mine fits into the overall mine restoration 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