The Mines of the Carnon Valley - South Garras

OS Explorer Map 105: Grid reference SW819477

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South Garras, lies one and a half miles north of Kenwyn, in the parish of the same name. It is a very ancient lead and silver mine dating from the late sixteenth century and should not be confused with Garras Mine in the Perranzabuloe Mining District. The sett is bounded to the north by Idless Woods near Truro, it is not within the Carnon Valley itself but is part of the general Carnon Mining District. Very little is known about the mine and any plans have been lost.

The mine produced 1,930 tons of 54% lead ore between 1855 and 1860 as well as 17,930 ounces of silver and 11 tons of pyrite. Its best recorded production occurring between 1855 and 1858. The mine was suspended between 1860 and 1865.

A record of South Garras in the mid 1860's comes from Thomas Spargo's book of 1865, entitled 'Statistics and Observations on the Mines of Cornwall and Devon' where he simply notes '... in Kenwyn. Lead mine. Idle. It yielded much mineral a few years since'.

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