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Mines of Crowan Parish - Unity ConsolsOS Explorer Map 104: Grid Ref. SW608355 The sett of Unity Consols lies just under a mile north of Leedstown in Crowan parish, West Cornwall. Situated on Gwinear Downs, its nearest neighbours were Wheal Treasury and Wheal Hope. The mine produced Lead, Tin and Arsenic as well as its mainstay of Copper ore. By no means a large producer, Unity Consols regularly produced over 100 tons of copper ore annually between 1851 and 1861. The best years production occuring in 1858 when 506 tons of copper ore were sold at a value of just under £2,800. The mine is recorded by the mining historian Thomas Spargo, in his book The Mines of Cornwall (1865). He states that Unity Consols was '... in 6,000 shares. Secretary, Mr. John Watson, George Yard, Lombard Street. Manager, Captain W. H. Reynolds, Redruth. Rock, clay-slate, traversed by elvans and cross courses. 45 men, 4 females, and 5 boys employed. Landowners, J. W. Buller, Esq., and Rev. M. N. Peter. Dues, 1-15th (too high). Depth of mine - 70 fathoms. No adit. Stamp power, a 40-inch pumping-engine. The workings, where now carried on, commenced in 1862. In other parts of the sett the workings were of ancient date. The loss, up to end of 1864, was about £7,000, of which about £3,000 was expended in 1864. The old mine was abandoned in 1862, when operations commenced on Rosewarne Consols Lode. They are down to the 70 level, where there is a long run of ore ground'.
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) or what is widely regarded as the mining enthusiasts bible by H G Dines - The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England: Vols I & II (Economic Memoirs). 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 |
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