I struggled to know where to put this. Although mines, the shots are of surface workings remains, I suppose they are industrial sites as well. So I have put this in the Misc section which hopefully is acceptable.
I have had a fascination with Cornish tin and copper mining remains for over 30 years, so this is my small tribute to the tenacity of the Cornish Miners who worked in truly dreadful conditions to work the various mineral lodes. Water was always the biggest enemy of the miner in Cornwall so ways had to be developed to drain the mines so they could be worked. Enter the Cornish Beam Engine in the 19th Century. These huge engines were housed in massive granite engine houses many of which survive today. When you look at the remains of these houses, consider the construction and the tools the 19th Century workers had to construct them. No cranes only block and tackle if they were lucky. Also consider how they managed to construct the beam engines which were made up of heavy cast iron castings weighing many tons. No wonder so many died in the construction of the surface workings and underground in the mines. Also remember all the women and children who worked on the surface in the stamps houses and dressing floors. Today many of the engine houses have been preserved and decay arrested. To my mind these Sentinels of a bygone age and of underground exploration, very often in dreadful conditions, are truly Derelict Places. The shots are mostly from November 2010.
Levant Mine Pumping Engine House - this housed a Cornish Beam Engine which pumped water from the
mine
This drawing shows a typical Cornish Beam Engine as would have been installed in the above engine house.
A drawing showing a typical Cornish Engine House
Levant mine surface workings - this mine was the site of a very bad accident in 1919 -
Details can be found here - http://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/levant2.php
Higher Bal Engine House near Levant - this housed a rotary steam winding engine which were
used to haul ore from the mine or to power batteries of stamps
Surface workings - Geevor Mine - to the right of the column is a round buddle which was used in tin separation
Surface workings Geevor - the headgear and workings behind is the former Geevor mine which is now
a museum
Surface workings at Geevor - note Pendeen Lighthouse in the far distance
Settling tanks - Geevor Mine
This is a fire bar from one of the boilers used at Geevor
Brunton Calciner at Bottalack Mine
The wall in the top right is part of Botallacks Mines Power House - part of the dressing floors are in the
foreground
The Crowns Engine Houses Botallack - the mine shaft here descending out under the Atlantic Ocean.
The lower pumping engine house was built in 1835 - the higher house in 1865 to provide winding power.
Consider how you would get those heavy granite blocks to such a position
The flue for the winding house boiler is built up the side of a hill
Part of the labyrinth that served the Arsenic workings at Botallack mine
In 1984 a new headgear was erected over Allens Shaft at Botallack. It was hoped to reopen the mine
but it was not to be and was never used. The winding house is behind the headgear
The sealed Allen Shaft
The flue serving Allen Shaft Engine House
Wheal Edward Winding Engine house with the Crowns at Botallack visible in the distance
Within the engine house is this granite block which was used to anchor the beam engine cylinder to
the ground. The forces were tremendous as these engines worked - hence the heavy construction
Wheal Owles seen from Wheal Edward. Wheal Owles was the scene of an underground disaster in
January 1893. The disaster claimed the lives of 19 men and a boy. It was caused when the miners
broke into an adjacent disused flooded mine (Wheal Drea) due to poor surveying. Water poured in
and the miners were drowned. Their bodies were not recovered and they remain underground to
this day
The sun sets over Wheal Edward
Thanks for looking.
I have had a fascination with Cornish tin and copper mining remains for over 30 years, so this is my small tribute to the tenacity of the Cornish Miners who worked in truly dreadful conditions to work the various mineral lodes. Water was always the biggest enemy of the miner in Cornwall so ways had to be developed to drain the mines so they could be worked. Enter the Cornish Beam Engine in the 19th Century. These huge engines were housed in massive granite engine houses many of which survive today. When you look at the remains of these houses, consider the construction and the tools the 19th Century workers had to construct them. No cranes only block and tackle if they were lucky. Also consider how they managed to construct the beam engines which were made up of heavy cast iron castings weighing many tons. No wonder so many died in the construction of the surface workings and underground in the mines. Also remember all the women and children who worked on the surface in the stamps houses and dressing floors. Today many of the engine houses have been preserved and decay arrested. To my mind these Sentinels of a bygone age and of underground exploration, very often in dreadful conditions, are truly Derelict Places. The shots are mostly from November 2010.
Levant Mine Pumping Engine House - this housed a Cornish Beam Engine which pumped water from the
mine
This drawing shows a typical Cornish Beam Engine as would have been installed in the above engine house.
A drawing showing a typical Cornish Engine House
Levant mine surface workings - this mine was the site of a very bad accident in 1919 -
Details can be found here - http://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/levant2.php
Higher Bal Engine House near Levant - this housed a rotary steam winding engine which were
used to haul ore from the mine or to power batteries of stamps
Surface workings - Geevor Mine - to the right of the column is a round buddle which was used in tin separation
Surface workings Geevor - the headgear and workings behind is the former Geevor mine which is now
a museum
Surface workings at Geevor - note Pendeen Lighthouse in the far distance
Settling tanks - Geevor Mine
This is a fire bar from one of the boilers used at Geevor
Brunton Calciner at Bottalack Mine
The wall in the top right is part of Botallacks Mines Power House - part of the dressing floors are in the
foreground
The Crowns Engine Houses Botallack - the mine shaft here descending out under the Atlantic Ocean.
The lower pumping engine house was built in 1835 - the higher house in 1865 to provide winding power.
Consider how you would get those heavy granite blocks to such a position
The flue for the winding house boiler is built up the side of a hill
Part of the labyrinth that served the Arsenic workings at Botallack mine
In 1984 a new headgear was erected over Allens Shaft at Botallack. It was hoped to reopen the mine
but it was not to be and was never used. The winding house is behind the headgear
The sealed Allen Shaft
The flue serving Allen Shaft Engine House
Wheal Edward Winding Engine house with the Crowns at Botallack visible in the distance
Within the engine house is this granite block which was used to anchor the beam engine cylinder to
the ground. The forces were tremendous as these engines worked - hence the heavy construction
Wheal Owles seen from Wheal Edward. Wheal Owles was the scene of an underground disaster in
January 1893. The disaster claimed the lives of 19 men and a boy. It was caused when the miners
broke into an adjacent disused flooded mine (Wheal Drea) due to poor surveying. Water poured in
and the miners were drowned. Their bodies were not recovered and they remain underground to
this day
The sun sets over Wheal Edward
Thanks for looking.
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