Item 3 is a photograph taken in the early 1900’s, and clearly shows the mines close proximity to the sea. The pumping engine for the mine is clearly visible in the background. Although this was a submarine mine it always remained, and was known as, a dry mine. A report of 1837 stated that the maximum quantity of water discharged was just 31 imperial gallons per minute over the year, remarkable considering the location!
During the early years of the 20th Century Cornwall had lost its position as one of the worlds leading copper producers and this was also true with regards to tin and arsenic. Item 4 is a copy of sales invoices, all for November 1912, for these three main extractions and they show that tin was now the main source of income with copper of only secondary importance, arsenic sales where also in decline. Despite these setbacks the mine was still productive and its owners viewed it with a prosperous future, all this was to change, however, one fateful afternoon in 1919.
By 1856 miners at Levant had to climb down 1600 feet of ladders to reach the lower levels, and back up again at the end of the shift. To speed up productivity the decision was taken to install a man engine. This was a rudimentary lift, invented by Michael Loam, which consisted of large timber beams, each 40 feet long, bolted end to end and stretching vertically down the length of the shaft. Fixed to this at 12-foot intervals there where platforms, the top of the lift was connected to a beam engine and fixed platforms at twelve-foot intervals protruded from the wall of the shaft. The beam engine bobbed up and down with a 12-foot stroke, and by stepping from the moving platforms to those which were fixed, and back, at the end of each stroke it was possible to ascend or descend with little effort. This system worked effectively until the afternoon of October 20th 1919, when one of the most notorious accidents in Cornish mining history occurred. With 150 men on the lift, returning to the surface at the end of their shift, the link at the top of the vertical beams parted and the whole contraption, complete with its human cargo, crashed into the depths of the shaft with terrifying consequences. After the accident the lower levels where abandoned, this was the beginning of this mines decline and it eventually closed in 1930. An account of this horrific disaster is given in item five, a complete transcript of a harrowing report, which appeared in the October 29th 1919 edition of The Cornish Times newspaper.
By far the most successful mine in the history of Cornish mining, although it was not actually in Cornwall, was Devon Great Consols mine in the valley of the Tamar River. This mine makes a good comparison with Levant in that it was, for a short period, the largest copper and arsenic producer in the world. Some Idea of this mine’s worth can be seen in item six, a copy of an article appearing in the September 29th 1853 edition of a Plymouth newspaper dealing with the sale of shares and value of ores. It can be seen that at this time the copper ore in Devon Great Consols was worth £400.00 a fathom. But this was a period of decline, with most mines turning to arsenic production to survive, and mention is also made of miners beginning to immigrate to Australia. Item seven is a copy of a private letter, dated 28th June 1894, between noted shareholders of this and other mines in the Gunnislake area, the concern over the future of these mines is made evident although the mood of the writing remains optimistic. Devon Great Consols was but one of a number of mines in the Tamar valley. Two of the smaller mines were Gunnislake Clitters and Okeltors. Gunnislake Clitters was the scene of an accident, which was reported in The Cornish Times on April the 19th 1879; in contrast to the disaster that befell Levant only one man was killed. A further report in the same newspaper dated November 1st 1879 details the results of the shareholders meeting and shows a four monthly sale of copper at £2, 804, 00. This gives a good idea of the abundant underground wealth of this area. Transcripts of both these reports are shown in item eight.
As the first half of the 20th Century drew to a close the once abundant mining history of Devon and Cornwall had virtually disappeared. All that remains to be seen today are the skeletons of the surface buildings and the crumbling smoke stacks of the engine houses rising above encroaching undergrowth. Some of the old sites are now privately owned, but not by adventurers, all ideas of mining for minerals have passed into history. The new owners are interested only in developing the land for residential dwellings, but not without some difficulties. Item nine; a letter from Kittows estate agents gives some idea of the problems that can ensue, a greater problem, it would seem, than that faced by the original owners! Perhaps rather surprisingly it can be seen from this letter that the idea of mining for minerals has perhaps not been given up entirely.
Recently it has been realised that these old buildings constitute a large part of Cornwall’s heritage and as a consequence attempts are now being made to preserve what still remains, as well as making these old industrial sites safe for those that wish to view them. Steps are being taken to repair the tumbling ruins of the old mine engine houses and to cap off the gaping shafts, some being hundreds of feet deep.
In 1986 the Tamar Valley Project began to document what remains on these industrial sites and list what is worthy of preservation. Sadly most sites now consist of piles of stone and heaps of mine waste and item ten, a report concerning Gunnislake clitters mine, gives some idea of this. The report, dated 13th of August 1986, gives a graphic account of what remains of this once proud industry, nothing more than a series of broken walls and the foundations of the engine houses and surface works. The bustling days of the Cornish mine industry are gone, the like of which it is doubtful will ever be seen again.
Sources.
Documents.
Items one, two, three and four available from: [internet]. Accessed December 2005.
Item five available from:
[internet].
Accessed December 2005.
Item six available from:
Calstock local archive, Calstock, Cornwall. Archive no. 7307.
Item seven available from:
The Plymouth records office, Plymouth Devon. Archive no. 400/1
Items eight, nine and ten available from Calstock local archive, Calstock, Cornwall.
Archive numbers 1128, 2338 and 1130 respectively.
Book.
Booker, F., (1967) Industrial Archaeology of The Tamar Valley. Devon: David and Charles (holdings) Limited.
Contents.
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Essay, Copper, Arsenic and Tin Mining in Cornwall. (1505 words)
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Levant mine, statement of accounts dated 1/9/1888. (Item one)
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Agents report for Levant mine dated 27/10/1894. (Item two)
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Levant mine, photograph of surface buildings, undated. (Item three)
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Levant mine invoices for arsenic, tin and copper sales dated 16/11/1912. (item four)
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Transcript of newspaper report on Levant mine disaster, Cornishman and Cornish Times newspaper dated 29/10 1919. (Item five)
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Extract from Plymouth newspaper-sale of ore/shares dated 29/9/1853. (Item six)
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Private letter re. Tamar Valley mines dated 28/6/1894. (Item seven)
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Newspaper extracts: mines Gunnislake Clitters dated 19/4/1879 and 1/11/1879. (Item eight)
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Letter, Kittows Estate Agents re. Land at Okletor works, Calstock with attached O.S. Map dated10/4/1979. (Item nine)
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Report on Gunnislake Clitters mine for the Tamar Valley Project dated 13/8/1986. (Item ten)
Copper Tin and Arsenic Mining
In
Cornwall
By
S Elton
Horizontal drainage tunnel, at just above high tide level.
A stope is an ore bearing area above (overhand) or below (underhand) the main horizontal level.