St. Austell Mining District - Lanivet Consols

OS Explorer Map 107: Grid reference SX065643

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Lanivet Consols, otherwise known as Tretoil Consolidated Mines, lies one and a half miles southeast of Lanivet. It includes Wheal Messer and the former sett of Blackheath or East Tretoil Mine. It lies in the St. Austell to Lanivet Area of the St. Austell Mining District.

This tin and copper mine worked Tregullon and Tretoil Lodes from a number of shafts. Tregullon Lode was worked from Water Shaft, Edward's Shaft, Baker's Shaft, Elizabeth's Shaft and Moor Shafts. Tretoil Lode was worked from John's Shaft, Engine Shaft, Henwood's Shaft and William's Shaft.

Joseph Y. Watson in his 'Compendium of British Mining' states that the mine opened in about 1838 and had produced 6,306 tons of copper ore worth £40,743 between 1838 and 1842 - at an average of £6.46 per ton. Other records of production are : For Lanivet Consols are: Tretoil - 11,755 tons of 7.25% copper ore and 30 tons of black tin; Wheal Messer - 2,078 tons of 6.5% copper ore; Tregullan - 1,163 tons of 6.25% copper ore and 7,910 tons of iron ore.

Now that 'World Heritage' status has been achieved Cornwall in Focus will monitor develpments and learn how the mines of the St. Austell District fare within the overall Mining 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