The Penwith Mining District - Wheal Trebarvah

OS Explorer Map 102: Grid reference SW543293

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A copper mine otherwise known as Wheal Castle and as 'Mount's Bay Consols' from 1881. It is situated about a quarter of a mile east of Perranuthnoe. Its nearest neighbours were Wheal Caroline, at Grid Reference SW541305, Trenow Consols, (Charlotte United Mines) and Tolvadden Mine, at Marazion.

The mine worked two lodes, named Engine Lode and South Lode, they are thought to be the southeasterly extension of the Charlotte North and Charlotte South Lodes from nearby Charlotte United mine. Engine Lode was worked from Mitchell's Shaft, Flat Rod Shaft, Middle Shaft and Old Engine Shaft. South Lode meanwhile was also worked from Engine Shaft, as well as Western Shaft and Eastern Shaft.

Thomas Spargo gives us a brief insight as to the state of Trebarvah Mine in his book of 1865 entitled 'The Mines of Cornwall and Devon; Statistics and Observations'. He reports that Trebarvah was, '... in Perranuthnoe, Cornwall. A copper mine. Idle; not from poverty, but from some disagreement between the lessor and lessee'.

Production records show that between 1852-59, 1861 and 1873-74, Wheal Trebarvah produced 3,446 tons of 7% copper ore and 5 tons of black tin in 1853. In 1873-74 it also raised 1,728 tons of brown haematite and 197 tons of tinstuff.

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