Mines of Crowan - Trevoole Mine

Location
Trevoole engine house lies beside the main B3303 Camborne to Praze road and is in quite a good state of repair. To unsuspecting motorists the building indicates the mining heritage of this part of Cornwall and may introduce the interested visitor to the larger picture. Significant remains of the mining industry are found to the north east around Troon, along the Great Flat Lode as well as the lesser known mines of the Godolphin-Tregonning Granite to the south west.

History
Trevoole first appears in the reference books in the mid-1820's although historians suggest it may have been working for quite some time before that. Predominantly a relatively unproductive copper mine, Trevoole also sold about 10% of its production in tinstone from the late 1860's. The ores raised were of quite low grade - records show that in 1828 Trevoole received £3.34 per ton for its copper ore considerably less than the average price of £5.80 being acheived in the rest of Cornwall. The mine required to be drained and so the initial 30-inch cylinder pumping engine was replaced by a far larger model when the mine was re-opened in the 1850's. A new engine house was built in 1857 and the main Engine shaft and Stephens' shaft were deepened and production ends (drives) continued.

Following unfavourable reports on the lode structure in 1859, the decision was taken to open a further shaft - Harvey's. This was to produce little ore as further results from the geologists indicate very little available ore. The poor lodes combined with the constant necessity to drain the mine made Trevoole uneconomic to run and although work continued for a further year or so, the decision was taken to abandon the mine in the autumn of 1861. Machinery was sold off and the 100 or so employees of the mine had to look elsewhere for work. The mine was reopened briefly between 1886 and 1891, with new engine houses built, but rumours of a branch of the Great Flat Lode existing underground on Trevoole's sett proved to be false. The mine closed for good in August 1891.

For more information on Trevoole and its neighbouring mines please purchase a copy of the excellent Cornwall's Central Mines: The Southern District by T. A. Morrison.

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