Botallack – The Perfect Tin Mine Ruin

Alongside Wheal CoatesThe Beauty of Wheal Coates Mine near St Agnes, it is arguable that the scenic view of Botallack Mine is the most perfect image you will ever find of early industrial architecture combined with breath-taking views of the rugged Cornish Coast. Whilst this mine is located in the far flung St Just Mining area and quite a drive, it really is well worth the trip. With its famed Crowns engine houses clinging to the foot of the cliffs, there is something very evocative about everything here.

Botallack is a deep-sea mine with tunnels that went under the water for half a mile in some places. It’s hard to imagine how such technology existed in those olden times and how fearful; some miners might have been knowing that the Atlantic was rolling over their heads. But one thing for sure, it was a productive place to be.

Over the course of its history, the mine produced about 14,500 tonnes of tin, 20,000 tonnes of copper, and 1,500 tonnes of arsenic. The history of mining in this area is vague. Early records were kept in the 1500s. It looks like there was mining in the Roman era or even as far back as the Bronze Age in this area. The current Botallack mine is thought to be the amalgamation of several small mines including Wheal Cock, Wheal Chase, Zawn a Bal, Wheal Hazard and Wheal Hen.

But it was Henry Boynes, the captain of the mine in the early 1800s, who shaped the current mine works. He opened a “deep adit level,” which led to the Corpus Christi lode in the upper mine. When did the first steam engine work? It worked at Carnyorth Moor, which later became part of the Botallack sett, in either 1795 or about 1810. Henry Boyns, who was born in 1820, was a great-grandson of Nicholas Boyns, who lived in 1720. He was well-liked because he had a lot of natural intelligence but not much education. He often talked about the history of the mines in the area. Manger: He worked at Wheal Owles in 1856. Agent: Botallack in 1857-1866. Manager: Botallack in the years 1866-1872. Manager of the Levant from 1872 to 1875, by the way He was also the manager of the Brimley mine in Devon from 1877 to 1880, and he worked there for that time. The person who was in charge of Molland in Devon from 1876 to 1980 was called the purser and the chief agent. It says that he worked in every mine except for North Levant. He was a lay preacher and a member of the Methodist church, both of which he did. He had a son who died young and a daughter from his first marriage. He married three times.

On April 18, 1863, there was a terrible accident in the Boscawan Diagonal Shaft when the chain broke when it was being used to lift people up. Nine miners died when the skip fell from the 135 level down to the bottom of the shaft. The full report is here.

In the 1860s a new diagonal shaft was dug. In 1865, the Prince and Princess of Wales came to visit, and when they went down the shaft, it caused a small tourism boom. The mine operators charged visitors a guinea per person. But sadly things could not be sustained in the wake of falling prices and strong overseas competition. Like much of Cornish mining, this endeavour collapsed and the mine closed in 1895. The mine was worked again after 1906. A shaft was sunk to 1400 feet (426 metres). However, the Tin reserves were now far out under the sea, so the mine fully closed in 1914.

A thorough description of the mine can be found here

The crown jewels of this site are ironically the The engine houses in the Crowns section of Botallack Mine are set low down the cliffs north of Botallack. The engine-shaft here was 130 fathoms (780 ft; 240 m) deep and worked with a cylinder that was 36 inches (910 mm) diameter. But Botallack stretches across a vast swathe of this countryside, and walk around reveals many ruins and holes hinting at an active past. There are at least 24 shafts in this small area, probably more which have disappeared under the heather. Walk carefully!!!

The car park and Tea Rooms are not necessarily easy to find. But it is worth the time to study a map, then drive along the gravel road to the large car park.

Among the buildings that are above ground are the cliff edge Crowns engine houses, which have been grade II listed by the National Trust. As a result, they are also part of the South West Coast Path and the Aire Point to Carrick Du Site of Special Scientific Interest. They also make up the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the most interesting things about the site are the arsenic labyrinths. This series of snaking rooms are fun to look around in, even though their purpose isn’t clear at first.

The Count House workshop, which used to be stables for ponies that worked on this site serves as the National Trust café and small museum. A lot of Botallack’s history is shown through objects and images at the site. This helps give the site some context and make it come to life. However. its hours are limited out of season.

Most 19th-century mines had “count houses” or “account houses,” which were places where the purser and his staff could work. They were usually bigger than other buildings in the area. As the public face of mining, they had to look polished and solid and prosperous in order to make investors and the rest of the world feel safe. A count house was the place where the mine was run on a day-to-day basis. Here, the miners were paid and the rights to work or “pitches” in the mine were sold on “setting days.” The count house at Botallack was built around 1861.

Visiting Botallack and standing in the car park, you will see one oddity – a modern looking mine, fenced off with warning signs to keep out. The winding tower, a metal structure is clearly. visible. And though the area is fenced off, it is not that hard to get in and wonder around. This area is presumed to relate to the failed efforts of 1906. A walk towards Geevor also reveals a large pit, possible open cast mining from an earlier era.

Indeed, there are plenty of walks from here along the Southwest Coast Path, towards Geevor -which makes a great day out for families as you get to go down a mine, and Levant with its working engine. St Just has a few shops and cafe’s and a few miles further out is Cape Cornwall which is an essential place to go.