Wendron Mining District - Leeds & St Aubyn Mine

OS Explorer Map 103: Grid reference SW582292

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Leeds & St Aubyn Mine lies in the Wendron Mining District about a quarter of a mile south of the village of Germoe. It was at work in the early nineteenth century and stopped working in 1873. The mine worked four main lodes and a caunter (reverse direction) lode. These were North Lode, Wheal Brooth Lode, Cold Harbour Lode and Paull's Lode. The caunter lode was known as Standard Lode.

There were numerous shafts on the sett including Chain Shaft, Grace's Shaft, Harvey's Shaft, Curtis' Shaft, Footway Shaft and West Boundary Shaft working on North Lode.
Wheal Brooth Lode was worked from Engine Shaft, Andrew' Shaft (also known as Wheal Brooth Shaft), Tin Shaft, Mount Pleasant or Stoddart's Shaft, Eastern Shaft, Flat Rod Shaft, Gilbert's Shaft and New Brooth Shaft.
Cold Harbour Lode was developed by Wilson's Shaft, Stevens' Shaft, Brae's Shaft, Pearce's Shaft and Kitchen's Shaft.
Vivian's Shaft and New Shaft worked Paull's Lode.

Between 1857 and 1871 Leeds and St. Aubyn Mine is known to have raised 770 tons of black tin and 2 tons of copper ore.

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) or what is widely regarded as the mining enthusiasts bible by H G Dines - The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England: Vols I & II (Economic Memoirs).

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