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In Detail
Celtic Cornwall
Ancient Sites
Where to Go
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Mining in Cornwall - More Detail
My knowledge centres mainly on the Camborne-Redruth area. Stretching from Treswithian - just to the west of Camborne to Gwennap - to the east of Redruth, and south to Bissoe and St. Day, there were, in mining's heyday, literally hundreds of mines and shafts dotting the landscape. My research tells me that between the 1840's and 1910 there were more than 1500 individual mining concerns, far too many to list properly here although we are currently setting up a comprehensive Mining Database for each district aiming to describe the major mines of Cornwall. It should also be borne in mind that until the invention of the 'man engine' in 1842 by Michael Loam all access to and from the production face was solely by ladder!!
Trevithick's Bicentenary run, Camborne Hill, Xmas Eve 2001 The most famous of all mines, of course, and at one time the deepest mine in the world, at 3500 feet, was Dolcoath. Its main Williams Shaft had an exceptionally rich lode at the 412 fathom (2472 feet) level and the sinking of the shaft began on 26th October 1895. Dolcoath was originally a copper mine - the fifth largest producer in Cornwall and Devon yet the sixty-seven years between 1853 and 1920 saw it yield the largest output of any Cornish mine of black tin, over 100,000 tons! Engineering and allied trades grew to keep pace with this boom in mining with Holman Brothers of Camborne being one of the biggest companies. Indeed even as late as the 1960's, 'Holman's' employed the vast majority of workers in the locality and had works straddling the whole town. However shortly after World War One, tin prices fell drastically, with even the once mighty Dolcoath shutting in 1921.
The main ore-bearing body south of Carn Brea hill is known as the Great Flat Lode due to its shallow dip to the overlying strata. The main mines of the Camborne area were North Crofty and South Crofty, Tincroft, Carn Brea, Wheal Basset, West Wheal Basset, South Wheal Frances, Dolcoath (Roskear & Wheal Harriet), East Pool, Stray Park and West Stray Park, Tolcarne, Camborne Vean, Carn Camborne, Great Condurrow and the Grenville United Mines around Troon. Incidentally South Crofty was formed in 1854 by the grouping together of the three smaller mines of Longclose, Dudnance and Penhellick and included parts of the workings of Copper Tankard and Wheal Susan.
A mineral tramway was set up in 1824 to transport the ore to the ports and to return laden with coal or other goods for the mines. Initially horse drawn trams were replaced in the mid 19th century by steam locos and the tramway renamed the 'Redruth and Chasewater Railway'. In good years the railway carried over 100,000 tons of freight but as mineral production declined towards the turn of the century so the network of tramways dimininshed before finally closing in 1915. There are still several industrial relics left from the heyday of mining and the Mineral Tramways Project aims to provide a network of multi-use trails for recreation and interested members of the public. Why not visit the museum and mine buildings at King Edward Mine at Troon, or purchase one of the Mining in Cornwall Series books by J.H. Trounson & L.J. Bullen. |
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