Camborne - A History of the Area

Location - 50.12N 05.19W

Situated in the west of Cornwall, Camborne and its local rival Redruth, forms part of the Camborne-Pool-Redruth conurbation. The town exploded into existence in the late 18th century with the discovery of copper (and later tin) on the flanks of Carn Brea. Indeed Camborne is an anglicised form of Kammbronn - Crooked Hill in Cornish. The 'Queen of Cornish Mines' - and at one time the deepest mine in the world - Dolcoath Mine drew workers from far and wide. Even the extremely hard conditions underground enabled the former agricultural labourers to better themselves and offered them the means to make a living. The need to mine ever deeper and the necessity to drain the mines gave an opportunity for inventors and entrepreneurs to make their mark on society whilst also making themselves a tidy profit. The leading landowners of the area were the Basset's of Tehidy with a holding of more than 1000 acres, the Vyvyan's of Trelowarren and to a lesser extent the Pendarves family and St.Aubyn families of Clowance. The Camborne-Redruth district became the richest mining area in the world for a while. It is possible to follow the Camborne Town Trail to really get a feel of Camborne's former glory. From a mere hamlet at the time of the historian John Norden (1584) - ‘ A churche standinge among the barrayne hills’, Camborne became a centre for the mining industry and the area is a myriad of mine workings. Population rose to almost 15,000 by 1871. Engineering and allied trades filled the surrounding countryside. The Holman's works at one stage spanning the whole town. At nearby Tuckingmill, itself just north of the mighty Dolcoath, there were several tin streaming plants and old photographs show the area resembling something akin to a lunar landscape. The parish being created in 1845 from parts of the Camborne and Illogan parishes.

Calciner chimney in Tuckingmill Valley Park

The remains of the former Bickford Smith Safety Fuse Factory can still be seen today - although it is just a shell of a building. The outlying hamlets now swallowed up by the greater Camborne-Pool-Redruth conurbation. How many of the current householders realise that beneath their feet lie the workings of Wheal Gerry, North Roskear, Stray Park or Dolcoath. Many former mine workings only remembered in the street names. Eastwards towards Redruth lies Pool with houses lining the old A30 road (now by-passed). Supermarkets and retail outlets lie on top of the workings of South Crofty, Carn Brea Mines and East Pool and Agar Ltd.(EPAL)

Michells 30 inch rotative whim engine House at East Pool

Further east, the site of Pool market and Retail Park, lies on flat land between the former mining setts of South Crofty (Cook's Kitchen) and Tincroft Mines whilst the Carn Brea Leisure Centre lies just to the northwest of the Carn Brea Group of mines former sett. Travelling further east one passes Barncoose hamlet and Blowinghouse roundabout as you enter Carn Brea Village and the St. Uny area of Redruth.