Carnon Mine was a tin mine at
Restronguet Creek
Restronguet Creek is a tide, tidal ria in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is a tributary of Carrick Roads, the estuary of the River Fal, and is situated approximately four miles (6.5 km) south of Truro and three miles (5 km) nor ...
, near the village of
Devoran
Devoran () is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is southwest of Truro at .Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' Formerly an ecclesiastical parish, Devoran is now in the civil parish of Feock, ...
in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, England. A ruined engine house survives on the north bank of the creek. It is a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
History
The tin mine opened in 1824. The surviving engine house is thought to have housed an engine of cylinder diameter 24 inches. An artificial island was created in the estuary; shafts, in the form of cast iron cylinders made at
Perran Foundry
Perranarworthal () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is about four miles (6.5 km) northwest of Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth and five miles (8 km) southwest of ...
, were sunk there, and a 14-inch engine and horse
whim erected. Water was pumped from the mine by the engine on the estuary bank via
flatrods.
["Carnon Mine"]
''Explore Cornwall''. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
The mine was profitable, but closed in 1830; the
Redruth and Chasewater Railway
The Redruth and Chasewater Railway was an early mineral railway line in Cornwall, England, UK. It opened in 1825 and was built to convey the output from copper mines in the Gwennap area to wharves on Restronguet Creek (off the Carrick Roads, Fal ...
complained that boats using the creek were obstructed.
[
]
Description
The south-east wall and parts of the north-east and south-west walls of the engine house survive, to a height of two storeys of the original three storeys. The south-west wall, the "bob wall" that supported the beam of the beam engine
A beam engine is a type of steam engine where a pivoted overhead Beam (structure), beam is used to apply the force from a vertical piston to a vertical connecting rod. This configuration, with the engine directly driving a pump, was first used b ...
, is thicker than the others.[
]
See also
* Mining in Cornwall and Devon
Mining in Cornwall and Devon, in the southwest of Britain, is thought to have begun in the early-middle Bronze Age with the exploitation of cassiterite. Tin, and later copper, were the most commonly extracted metals. Some tin mining continue ...
References
{{Reflist
Tin mines in Cornwall
Grade II listed buildings in Cornwall
Grade II listed industrial buildings