Not So Poldark Mine
Poldark has managed through books and TV series to become part of the Cornish landscape as well as a few women’s hearts. However, despite his rugged looks and commercial acumen he is in fact fictional. So what gives with the…
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Category History
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…
The Beauty of Wheal Coates
There is no doubting that Wheal Coates not only offers a fascinating glimpse into tin mining history, but it also is one of the most dramatic and stunning tin mines in Cornwall. Siting above the cliffs of the North Coast,…
Wheal Betsy – Dartmoor’s last Engine House
From the A386 road from Okehampton to Tavistock, and easy to miss is Wheal Betsy Engine House, with its leaning chimney. It has been thought that the mine was opened in 1740 or earlier. The mine follows a N-S lode and was…
A history of Cornish Tin mining
Why was tin important? To begin with, tin was initially utilised in the city of Ur, today known as Iraq in modern-day southern Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. Bronze, an alloy of tin and copper, was used by the Iranians. Tin…
Wheal Busy – All Quiet Now
Although there may have been mines in the Wheal Busy area as early as the 16th century, it wasn’t until the 1720s that the mine began producing significant amounts of copper ore.. The Boscawen family was the largest landowner. In…