The Mines of Redruth - Wheal Boys

OS Explorer Map 104: Grid reference SW712438

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The sett of Wheal Boys copper and tin mine lies just south of the A30 Redruth bypass between Shallow Adit and Radnor and threequarters of a mile SW of Scorrier Station. It should not be confused with the mines of the same name in the Kenidjack Valley, near St. Just and the antimony mine in St. Endellion parish. The sett is bounded on the west by Cardrew and Prussia United and lies south of Wheal Peevor and Great North Downs mines. There are no plans of the layout of shafts on the sett and unfortunately nothing now remains of this enterprise.

A relatively small concern there are very few records of the mine. It is recorded however that between 1877 and 1883, Wheal Boys was in the ownership of Francis W. Michell and Thomas Pryor, who was also the Company Secretary during this time. Wheal Boys raised 22 tons of 7% copper ore and 5 tons of black tin between 1873 and 1878.

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).

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