St Agnes Mines - Stencoose & Mawla United

OS Explorer Map 104: Grid reference SW713460

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Stencoose and Mawla United mine was an old copper mine situated about one and a half miles northwest of Scorrier. The mine worked seven lodes from Engine Shaft, Central Shaft and South Shaft. Its nearest neighbours would have been South Wheal Ellen, Wheal Plenty and Scorrier Consols mines - all about 1 kilometre distant.

The mine was re-worked between 1860 and 1862 and a 'very promising' tin lode was discovered at about 25 fathoms. It is known to have had troubles with water. One report states that the 18-inch pumping engine had to deal with over 300 gallons of water per minute at this depth. The small combined winding and pumping engine was not suitable for this amount of water. It couldn't cope, causing the mine to flood. A drainage adit from the mine flows out of the mine near Wheal Parsley Corn Mill.

Mining historian Thomas Spargo writes in his report of 1864 entitled 'The mines of Cornwall and Devon; statistics and observations' that Stencoose and Mawla United, was
'... in the parish of St. Agnes, in the lands of Viscount Falmouth, Hon. A. M. Agar, and H. Willyams, Esq. Workings commenced 7th June, 1860. The mine is about 45 fathoms deep. Cost to end of 1860, £1320 15s. 1d. There is an 18-inch pumping and winding engine now on the mine. The purser and manager is Mr. T. Traull, of Camborne; the agent Captain Nicholas Reed. There are several lodes in the sett which is very large, and the agent speaks with confidence as to results'. The following year (1865) he wrote the following: '... in St. Agnes. Worked a short time, and then died.'. Little else is known.

'World Heritage' status has been gained for this area. Cornwall in Focus are waiting to see just how Stencoose and Mawla United 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