The Mines of Gwennap - Wheal Jewell

OS Explorer Map 104: Grid reference SW735421

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The sett of Wheal Jewell lies just southeast of St. Day near Crofthandy and includes Wheal Quick. The mine should not be confused with the mine of the same name in the Marazion area (Grid reference SW534306) that produced lead, copper and tin. Wheal Jewell was chiefly a copper mine dating from about 1815. The mine worked several lodes including North Tin, Morcom's, South Lode, North Wheal Jewell, Wheal Jewell South Copper Lode and Wheal Jewell South Lode. The main shafts were Morcom's, Martyn's, Wheal Quick, Trudgeon's, Tregella's, Footway, William's, New Harvey's, John's, Michael's, Tremayne's, Caroline's, Stephen's and Richard's Shafts. It produced 58,160 tons of 9% copper ore between 1815 and 1853.

Mining Historian Joseph Yelloly Watson wrote in his report of 1843 entitled 'A Compendium of British Mining' that Wheal Jewell was ' ... In Gwennap, at the first working, left a profit of £200,000 ; the mine was then idle for twenty years, and was resumed about nine years ago by the Messrs. Williams of Scorrier House and during this short time has realised profits of upwards of £100,000. The sett is not more than 200 fathoms in length, and 150 in width, and the workings are principally in granite; they have one steam-engine and two steam-whims. The adit in Wearne's shaft is 50 fathoms from the surface and the shaft 150 fathoms below the adit. About 300 persons are employed; and from 1834 to June, 1842, have returned 31,276 tons of copper ore, yielding £214,130 6s. 6d.'.

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 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