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Wheal Trewavas was a copper mine in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, about west of Porthleven. The ruined engine houses remain, on sea cliffs overlooking
Mount's Bay Mount's Bay ( kw, Baya an Garrek) is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head. In the north of the bay, near Marazion, is St Michael's Mount; the origin o ...
, just east of Trewavas Head. The site is a
Scheduled Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.


History

The mine was in operation from about 1834 to 1846. It exploited four copper lodes, which ran south-east along the coastline. There are two engine houses. The building to the west served the first shaft, Old Engine Shaft, which was in operation by 1834. It housed an engine of cylinder diameter 18 inches, to pump water from the mine. To the east, New Engine Shaft began operation in 1836; it had a 45-inch engine."Wheal Trewavas"
intoCornwall.com. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
''The Cornwall Guide''. Retrieved 5 September 2020. The mine employed about 160 men, and the workings extended under the sea. The mine was successful; it brought up about of copper.


Closure of the mine

The mine eventually closed because of flooding. There is a story that the annual dinner of the "tributers" was to take place in a tunnel under the sea; two men making final preparations to the tables noticed water leaking from the tunnel roof, and quickly left. The sea soon broke in, before the time planned for the dinner."Wheal Trewavas"
''Helston History''. Retrieved 5 September 2020.


Description

The engine house and chimney of Old Engine Shaft are situated on the cliffside, about above the sea and about from the clifftop. Adjoining the building is a capstan platform; during the operation of the mine, a manually operated capstan lowered equipment down the shaft. The chimney is separate from the engine house, and was built about 1840, replacing an earlier chimney. The engine house and chimney are both Grade II
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s. The engine house and separate chimney of New Engine Shaft are a short distance further east along the coast, near the top of the cliff. They are both Grade II listed buildings.


See also

*
Wheal Prosper, Rinsey Wheal Prosper was a tin mine in Cornwall, England, a short distance from the hamlet of Rinsey and about west of Porthleven. The ruined engine house remains, overlooking Mount's Bay near Rinsey Head. The site is a Scheduled Monument, and the ...
* Mining in Cornwall and Devon * Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape


References

{{Reflist Copper mines in Cornwall Scheduled monuments in Cornwall Grade II listed buildings in Cornwall