Cornish_Mining_summer_2014

2 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterMountain Mine engine house,Allihies, Ireland,please see page 22WelcomeIn this edition of Cornish Mining we cover the latest conservation work at KingEdward Mine, Troon, which includes the creation of workspace units as part ofan extensive refurbishment of the Grade II* Listed mine complex on the GreatFlat Lode. Funded by the EU Convergence programme with Cornwall Council, thisinvestment promises to bring a new lease of life to the mine.Following the very successful completion of the World Heritage Site’s ‘Discover theExtraordinary’ project in April an evaluation report gauges the significant impact ofthe four-year programme on visiting to mining heritage attractions within the Site.Developments at the historic port of Hayle were discussed at this year’s UNESCOWorld Heritage Committee Session in Doha, Qatar, and to read the full response ofour World Heritage Site Partnership Board to the Committee’s decision, please seepage 13.Maintaining access to former mine sites within the World Heritage Site can besomething of a challenge due to vegetation which in many instances can quicklyencroach upon mine buildings and other features. Samantha Barnes of the TamarValley AONB team explains how the Helping Hands for Heritage project is deliveringmuch-needed work at trails and mine sites within the valley and World Heritage Sitethrough the generous help of local volunteers.Features this time also include the commencement of the Natural England fundedconsolidation work at Wheal Busy near Chacewater and the repair of the extensivewinter storm damage at Portreath - so all together, a varied bag!Ainsley Cocks, EditorThe Cornish Mining World Heritage Site,4th Floor (West Wing), County Hall, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 3AY, United KingdomTel: + 44 (0)1872-322586Email: enquiries@cornish-mining.org.ukWe want to ensure your needs are met. If you would like this information inanother format or language please contact us at the above address.CONTENTS£2million KingEdward Mineworkspacedevelopment‘Extraordinary’results forWorld HeritageSite projectHelping Hands forHeritage in theTamar ValleyResponse tothe UNESCOWorld HeritageCommitteedecision 2014NaturalEngland ‘Busy’ atChacewaterStorm damagerepair atPortreathNew life atPoldaRKCornish miningheritage:Mountain Mine,Allihies, Ireland37101315182022All content, unless where specified, © Cornwall Council, 2014.Photos Ainsley Cocks / Cornwall Council unless stated.© Cornwall Council 2014Cornwall and West DevonMining Landscapeinscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006Design The Communications Unit, Cornwall Council, August 14

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 20143King Edward Mine – the completeEdwardian training mine£2million King Edward MineWorkspace developmentKing Edward Mine (KEM) hasfeatured many times withinthese pages as a site with aspecial place in the history of CornishMining. Formerly the only purposebuilttraining facility for metalliferousmining in the UK, KEM has gone fromstrength to strength since it was firstopened to public as a mining museumin the early 2000s.The history of KEM dates from thebeginning of the twentieth centurywhen it was first conceived as a schoolfor mining engineers, under theauspices of the Camborne School ofMines, in 1901. Located to the southof Camborne, between the villages ofBeacon and Troon, and towards thewestern end of the Great Flat Lode,KEM was created from part of SouthCondurrow Mine (1864 - 1896) whichwas leased from the Pendarves Estate.Within a few years KEM was equippedwith new surface machinery, buildingsand a new mill and was successfullyoperating as a training facility (aboveand below ground) for students of theSchool.The complex of structures makingup the core area of the King EdwardMine site are unique in that theywere almost all constructed duringa single development phase (1897 –1907), each for a specific function. Itis extremely rare that a site such asthis has survived without significantmodification. For this reason, manyhave been accorded statutoryprotective designation as Grade II*Listed buildings; only 5.5 per centof all Listed buildings nationally aredesignated at this grade. The site isalso a key element of the OutstandingUniversal Value, or internationalsignificance, of the Cornish MiningWorld Heritage Site (WHS), inrecognition of the important role itplayed in the development of theCornish mining industry.In 1974 Camborne School of Minesrelocated from its premises nearFore Street to Trevenson Road, Pool,but KEM continued to be partlyused for mining tuition until 2005.During this period, part of the sitewhich included the important millcomplex containing rare survivingcollections of original mine machineryand rare milling equipment, becameredundant. A volunteer group was setup in 1987, however, eager to preservethese now redundant structures andto restore the mill and in time to openit as a museum; this was successfullyachieved in 2001.In 2005 the team of volunteersbecame incorporated as King EdwardMine Ltd., a not for profit companylimited by guarantee, and laterwere also registered as a charity. In2009, to safeguard the site’s future,Cornwall Council purchased KEM fromthe Pendarves Estate and with thesupport of the WHS begun a process

4 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterWinder and Compressor houses build in 2010 as part of the World Heritage Site ‘Discover the Extraordinary’ projectof master planning, involving the localcommunity and stakeholders.In 2010 KEM was to benefit from theWHS ‘Discover the Extraordinary’project which enabled theconstruction of wholly new winderand compressor houses to replacethe original buildings destroyed byfire in 1957. Expertly constructedby Gloweth of Truro in the originalEdwardian weatherboard stylereferencing the archive plans, thebuildings now house a HolmanBrothers’ horizontal steam winder,working at KEM by 1908, and the site’sHarvey’s Foundry air compressor. The£97,000 rebuild was funded usingEuropean Union and DEFRA grantaid made available by the Discoverthe Extraordinary project throughthe Rural Development Programmefor England (RDPE), and was part of apackage of improvements to facilitiesand interpretation at the mine.The current King Edward MineWorkspace Project is the first of twosignificant capital schemes on site partfinanced by the European RegionalDevelopment Fund Programme(ERDF) 2007 to 2013 that will securethe long-term future of KEM, now theoldest complete mine site in Cornwall.ERDF Convergence is delivering atotal of £1,126,248 to the project,with Cornwall Council contributing£800,000 in match funding.The construction company MidasGroup Ltd. are undertaking thework which will give a new lease oflife to the former Count House andCarpenters’ Shop complexes, creatingnine affordable workspaces for localbusinesses, ready for occupation fromMarch next year.Phil Kitchener, Midas Site Managercommented: “The Midas GroupLtd is very pleased to beawarded the King EdwardMine heritage project to addto the list of mine attractionslike Geevor Tin Mine andHeartlands that we’ve beeninvolved in. The site teamleading this project bring goodbackground knowledge of theskills required with this typeof refurbishment on Grade II*Listed buildings.”Environmental sustainability is a keyaspect of the refurbishment workand in order to achieve a BREEAM(Building Research EstablishmentEnvironmental Assessment Method)‘Very Good’ rating, Midas havebrought in specialist skills to work onthe project. On this, Phil Kitcheneradds that: “We will be usingspecialist heritage contractorsto apply traditional skills andmaterials to conserve the twobuildings. The work will includelime pointing, lime washing tothe external walls, traditionalcarpentry, stonework, andscantle slate roofing skills.”A specialist project like that at KEM isa rare construction opportunity andMidas intend to go the extra mileto pass this building knowledge onto the next generation by bringingapprentices onto the site, as Philexplained:“By supporting apprentices andworking with local colleges wefeel that local young peoplewill not only learn new skills,

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 20145but gain an interest in historicbuilding conservation whichis so important for workingin Cornwall. Many historicbuildings are looked after byvoluntary organisations and sowe are also planning to holda community training daywhere anyone interested intrying their hand at heritageconservation can come andhave a go!”Councillor Julian German, CornwallCouncil Cabinet Member for Economy& Culture and World Heritage SitePartnership Chair, said:“Bringing historic buildingssuch as these back intoeconomic use not only ensuresthat they are saved as partof Cornwall’s Mining WorldHeritage Site, but also createsmuch-needed ‘grow on’spaces for local businesses. Inaddition, conservation projectssuch as this offer an excellentopportunity to train the nextgeneration in traditionalbuilding skills, such as workingwith Cornish slate. The KEMWorkspace Project will createhigh quality, distinctive workspaces just outside Camborne,which we will be marketingIn need of attention, the timber-clad Assay House is part of the Grade II* Listed mine complexprimarily to the creativeindustry and knowledgeeconomy sectors and ready foroccupation early in 2015.”Trevor Humphreys, ProjectManagement Consultant forCornwall Council, said that he wasexcited to have the opportunityto bring these buildings back tolife, but that: “There are manychallenges still to overcome,not least the mine shaft thathas been found underneaththe Count House building!”Trevor Humphreys Associatesspecialise in bespoke heritage andarts based projects including theaward winning Porthmeor Studiosand Porthcurno Telegraph Museumthat has just opened its doors witha new exhibition. “By workingin partnership with CornwallCouncil our enthusiasticproject team are committedto providing an exemplaryproject which will be an assetto the local community andthe wider ERDF ConvergenceProgramme’s legacy.”King Edward Mine was bought byCornwall Council in 2009 and issubstantially leased to a local charityto run as a mining heritage attraction.In addition to being part of theWHS, the complex includes sixteenbuildings Listed Grade II* and alsothe South Condurrow Stamps EngineHouse Listed at Grade II.The workspace project is the resultof several years of planning andconsultation and is the first of twomajor capital developments for thesite that Cornwall Council is currentlyengaged in. The second is focused onconserving the museum buildings,creating more exhibition space,enhancing the visitor experience andturning what used to be the AssayOffice complex into a cafe that is dueto open in spring 2016.From left to right, the Mess Room, Count House and Smithy buildings, to be renovated as part ofthe current £2million workspace development projectSt Ives based architects PoyntonBradbury Wynter Cole is providingconservation architectural servicesfor the project. Paul Perry, leadarchitect said: ‘PBWC Architectsare delighted to be involved

6 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining Newsletterwith such a unique heritageproject as we are based herein Cornwall. We take pride inbeing part of the team whichwill conserve and convert thesebuildings within the WorldHeritage Site. We are one of thefew architectural practices tospecialise in historic buildingconservation in Cornwalland we bring experience ofdelivering other successfulERDF projects here and on theIsles of Scilly.’“We’re very excited about whatis happening at KEM,”said Tamsin Daniel, CornwallCouncil’s Commissioning and ProjectDevelopment Officer who has playeda major role in preparing the project.“The mine has a very special place inmany people’s hearts, attracts lotsof visitors and won the Institution ofMechanical Engineers’ EngineeringHeritage Award last year (Ed. Pleasesee the spring 2013 edition of CornishMining for more on this).“Its location in prettycountryside not far from theA30 - with access to beautifulwalks and cycle rides - makesit an inspiring place to run abusiness. We’re anticipatinglots of interest in the nine unitsbeing built at the moment.”project is now taking placeand looks forward to a verysuccessful future for themine and its many dedicatedvolunteers.”To find out more about KingEdward Mine, please see: http://www.kingedwardmine.co.uk/Details of the Convergencefunded project can be found here:http://www.erdfconvergence.org.uk/investments/kingedward-mine/As part of the Cornish Mining WorldHeritage Site, the WHS team are verypleased that the conservation workis taking place at KEM, with DeborahBoden, World Heritage Site Coordinator,commenting:“the World Heritage Siteteam helped to instigate theprocess of business planningfor the site in 2010 which ledultimately to the constructionof the new winder andcompressor houses throughour Discover the Extraordinaryproject. The World HeritageSite Partnership is delightedthat the Convergence fundedAbove: Granite block – probably used to train students in the skill of compressed air machine drillingTop: The weather-boarded Carpenters’ Shop and Machine Room, adjoining(Images: Steve Hartgroves, Ainsley Cocks, Convergence Cornwall)

10 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterHelping Hands for Heritagein the Tamar ValleyAs a designated landscapewithin Cornwall and westDevon, the World Heritage Site(WHS) has management objectives incommon with our sister landscapes,the Cornwall Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty (AONB), and theTamar Valley Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty. One of theseobjectives concerns the thorny issueof vegetation management (sorry)and the care of specific sites whichare used by the public for recreationand education. Maintaining access tosites often requires regular vegetationcontrol and in the wake of austeritydrivenlocal government spendingreductions, this work is becomingincreasingly difficult to fund.In recent months the team from theTamar Valley AONB have been tryinga different approach however, andrecruiting volunteers to assist in thisunder the auspices of its ‘HelpingHands for Heritage’ project. SamanthaBarnes, Projects Officer (HistoricEnvironment) with the Tamar ValleyAONB team, takes up the story, andlooks at the various ways in which theproject can benefit both the TamarValley AONB and the WHS alike.May Day 2014 was a very exciting andspecial day for the Tamar Valley AONBteam. A range of people from partnerorganisations and from the localcommunity were invited to the launchof a successful Heritage Lottery Fund‘Our Heritage’ grant bid to help delivera new project - ‘Helping Hands forHeritage’.The project, which will run for twoyears, aims to expand the potentialfor volunteering in the Tamar Valley,building on the AONB’s ValleyVolunteers scheme and buildingpartnerships with other organisationssuch as the Cornish Mining WHS.A range of heritage topics, sitesand species of flora and fauna havebeen identified, many of whichare considered to be at risk, underthreat or inappropriately managed.Expert training is to be provided forvolunteers to work towards helping toprotect and care for our remarkablenatural and cultural heritage. Wethen hope that these volunteers willbe inspired to volunteer for otherorganisations, sharing their skills andtherefore building the capacity ofvolunteering across a wider area.The volunteer opportunities availablewill range from continuous surveyand research projects, to a seriesof special days at heritage sites toclear vegetation and work towardsenhancing access and interpretation.We hope to inspire through one-offevents such as a fieldwalking, miningstructures ID (identification), and acommunity star count. Whereverpossible we will be linking up withother groups and organisationsto maximise the engagementpossibilities.Main: Helping Hands Volunteers at work on theTamar Trails near Gulworthy, creating a new pathBelow: Brentor and Mary Tavy Scouts get stuckin tackling brambles near Devon Great ConsolsMine

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 201411Here are some of the volunteer opportunities on offer this year:Village Histories - ‘Takea closer look at yourvillage…’Buckland Monachorum ParishCouncil and Calstock Parish Councilare in the process of writing theirNeighbourhood Plan, and we willbe supporting them by runningworkshops to engage communitiesin the history of where they live.Monitoring the ValleyFollowing on from our monitoringprogramme that has looked at thecondition of the Valley landscapeevery five years, now, with thepower of volunteers, we are nowable to expand the number of‘indicators’ and specific locationswe assess. Training will be providedby Plymouth University and therewill be something for everyonethrough this project, which will helpus effectively manage the landscapeinto the coming years.Monument WatchIn the autumn there will be aseries of training events on theCornwall side of the Valley toencourage local people to keepan eye on archaeological sitesclose to their homes. Buildingon an existing initiative run byCornwall Archaeological Society,and with their support, trainingwill be provided in identifyingand understanding archaeologicalsites, from prehistory to postwar;condition assessment andreporting. Starting with ScheduledMonuments, we then hope to beable to address some of the issueswith our regionally importantsites that are recorded on the localauthority’s Historic EnvironmentRecord. We will then run training inDevon in 2015.As a build up to this have twoevents to whet your appetite: afieldwalking event in September;and a mining heritage identificationday in partnership with the CornwallMining World Heritage Site whereyou can learn what all the differentparts of a mine site are for and theimpact of mining on settlementchange and transport.Archaeology andAccess ManagementThe ‘Trailmakers’ scheme, run bythe Tamar Community Trust, hasenabled the sustained managementof the Tamar Trails over the pastfew years and, building on this, weare now able to look at more sitesover a wider area, give more variedopportunities, and work towardsraising the profile and accessibilityof some lesser-known aspects of ourheritage. Work will continue at themine sites on the Tamar Trails, butwe will also be working at WackerQuay near Antony, Cleave Woodsnear Weir Quay; and, to supportthe work of Cormac Solutions,around Kit Hill and DrakewallsMine. Other sites within the CornishMining WHS will be identified asthe project progresses. Full detailsand a programme can be found onthe Tamar Valley AONB website (seebelow).A few of the volunteers who took part in the Calstock Roman Fort community dig in 2011,showing the passion for heritage which is alive in the Tamar Valley

12 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterThe project is not just about built andarchaeological heritage however. Incollaboration with various wildlifeorganisations and charities therewill be the opportunity to take partin recording surveys across a widevariety of biodiversity and habitats- from woodlands to birds, bees toriver habitats. We hope to inspire withone-off events this summer; a BioBlitzis planned, and in partnership withthe Pentillie Estate there are bat, birdand stargazing events throughout thesummer months.All AONB-led training sessions andevents will be free; lunches willoften be included; and we can offerto cover travel expenses in manycircumstances. We will endeavour torun training sessions in every cornerof the AONB and then – depending onthe activity – you can deliver the taskin your own time.Further information on the projectcan be found on our websitewww.tamarvalley.org.uk, pleasego to the ‘Projects’ page whereyou will find a link.The project also has its ownFacebook and Twitter pages (forTwitter search @HH4Heritage) –so ‘like’ and ‘follow’ to keep up todate with all the news. Our purpleflags and banners will be flyingat all our events, so watch out forthem and come and say hello.organisations, plus many more, havealso pledged their support.Samantha Barnes, Projects Officer(Historic Environment), Tamar ValleyAONBHelping Hands clearlyhas great promise andcould prove to be avery useful means ofdelivering improvedmanagement of otherareas across the WorldHeritage Site beyond theTamar Valley. Please seeforthcoming editionsof Cornish Miningfor updates on thisexciting project as itprogresses.Above: Prince of Wales Mine, Harrowbarrow – atarget for future workBelow: Clearing vegetation and litter fromDrakewalls Mine(Images: copyright Tamar Valley AONB)BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY WE NEEDVOLUNTEERS! There will be chancefor everyone to get involved in thisunique project either in a formal wayor by having fun at an event. Make adifference to the Tamar Valley and theWHS, and create a better future foryourself.Helping Hands for Heritage is fundedthrough an ‘Our Heritage’ grantfrom the Heritage Lottery Fund.Match funding has been given byTamar Valley AONB, the Cornwall& West Devon Mining LandscapeWorld Heritage Site, Devon CountyCouncil, Tamar Community Trust,Calstock Parish Council, and BucklandMonachorum Parish Council. These

13Right: South Quay showing anextensive collapsed section ofwalling which is to be rebuiltas part of the current quaydevelopment(Image: Adam Sharpe)Cornwall and West DevonMining Landscape (CornishMining) World Heritage SitePartnership BoardResponse to the UNESCO World Heritage Committeedecision 2014Following an ongoing process and a recentmission of selected UNESCO advisors toaddress concerns regarding large scaledevelopments within the Cornish MiningWorld Heritage Site, UNESCO has now madepublic its decision, made at its latest WorldHeritage Committee meeting on 17th June.The Cornish Mining World Heritage Site(CMWHS) Partnership Board notes that theUNESCO World Heritage Committee decisionnot to add the Cornish Mining WHS to thelist of ‘World Heritage in Danger’ at this time,due to the supermarket development underconstruction on South Quay, Hayle, is theright one.UNESCO’s advisers accepted the principleof development at Hayle Harbour, butcriticised the supermarket design, claimingit will impede the understanding of theOutstanding Universal Value (OUV) [orinternational significance] of the Quay, andits original functions. However, they did notidentify any tangible negative impacts on theactual fabric of the quays and related harbourinfrastructure.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport(DCMS), as the UK Government departmentwith responsibility for World Heritage Sites,argued that the limited impacts from thesupermarket scheme should not warrant an‘in Danger’ listing.Cornwall Council had previously stated thatits reasons for giving consent to the schemeincluded the substantial conservation gainsfor the historic quay walls and sluicingsystem, its contribution to flood riskmitigation for Hayle, and the fact that therewas no other economically viable use thatwould provide these benefits.Julian German, chairman of the CMWHSPartnership, commented:“The development deliverssubstantial conservation gains to the

14 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterThe estuary at Hayle with South Quay,centre, subject of much deliberationat this year’s UNESCO World HeritageCommittee Session in Doha, Qatar(Image: Steve Hartgroves)harbour, which has lain derelictfor decades, whilst causing nophysical damage to historicfeatures that demonstrate OUV.However, the objections raisedby the heritage agencies aboutthe visual impacts required thiscase to be carefully consideredby the planning authorities. Inview of this, the Partnershipsought advice from theDepartment of Communitiesand Local Government,particularly regardingsafeguarding our WorldHeritage status. Their viewwas that the developmentproposals did not causesufficient conflict to warrantscrutiny by the Secretaryof State, allowing CornwallCouncil to give consent to thescheme.“The development affectssome of the views across alimited part of the harbour.The supermarket will notbe visible from all parts ofHayle, and whilst extremelyimportant, Hayle itself isonly one component of aWorld Heritage Site totalling20,000 hectares across tenlandscape areas. Nine of thecomponent areas are notaffected in any way by thedevelopment at Hayle Harbour.We are therefore in agreementwith the World HeritageCommittee’s conclusion notto place the whole WorldHeritage Site on the list of‘World Heritage in Danger’.“The Committee also agreedto ICOMOS’ request to senda further mission to evaluatethe impacts and decide howto address or mitigate them,but given that a numberof Committee memberscommented that they didnot support an ‘in Danger’listing based on the evidencealready supplied by DCMS, wequestion why this is neededand what it can realisticallyexpect to achieve. But wewill welcome them warmlyand ensure they are fullybriefed on the challenges thatwere faced and the heritagebenefits secured through thesupermarket development.“The UNESCO reportacknowledged that theCMWHS is a very well managedSite. We will continue towork with DCMS and the UKAmbassador to UNESCO toensure that the World HeritageCommittee’s recommendationsare responded toappropriately.”Cornwall and West Devon MiningLandscape (Cornish Mining) WorldHeritage Site Partnership Board, July2014To see the finalised UNESCOdecision notice, please use thefollowing link and scroll to page87 of the report: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2014/whc14-38com-16en.pdf

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 201415Right: The imposing pumpingengine house at Wheal Busynear Chacewater (1856),currently being conservedusing Natural England HigherLevel Stewardship fundingNatural England‘Busy’ at ChacewaterAbove: Consultants inspectthe top brick course of theengine boiler chimney, whichis surprisingly intact given its158 yearsIn previous newsletters we have covered avariety of conservation works undertakenat mine sites across the World HeritageSite (WHS) and in this edition we look atWheal Busy near Chacewater, one of the mostfamous names in Cornish mining history.The works at Wheal Busy are being fundedthrough the agri-environment agencyNatural England’s Higher Level Stewardship(HLS) scheme, a DEFRA / European Uniongrant funding option.Located on the outskirts of the village ofChacewater near Truro, Wheal Busy formspart of the A6 area of the World Heritage Site- the Gwennap Mining District with Devoran,Perran and Kennall Vale - through its linksto tin, copper, and later arsenic productionduring the eighteenth to the early twentiethcenturies. The mining of metalliferousminerals in the area around Chacewater datesfrom the later seventeenth century however,with the first mention of Wheal Busy as amining concern dating from 1666.In addition to Wheal Busy being a majorproducer of tin and copper, the sitealso saw the successive installation ofearly innovations in steam technology.A Newcomen Atmospheric Engine wasat work dewatering the mine by around1726, with this role fulfilled by a Smeatonimproved atmospheric engine by 1775-1776, and eventually by a Boulton & Wattseparate condenser engine, the first to workin Cornwall. This 30 inch cylinder enginewas erected in September 1777, with itsinstallation being personally supervised byits designer James Watt. The engine costa reputed £800 and was intended to be atemporary installation to facilitate the drivingof a level to the County, or Gwennap, Adit- an extensive network of drainage tunnelscommenced in 1748 by John Williams ofnearby Scorrier House.Wheal Busy was identified as being in needof conservation as a result of an extensivephotomonitoring condition survey,undertaken across the WHS in Cornwall andwest Devon during the autumn of 2010. Thissurvey appraised just under 1,000 miningrelated features and clusters of featureswithin the Site, which together represent its

16 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterAbove: The imposing pumping engine house and chimney (1856) at Wheal Busy, about to beconserved using Natural England Higher Level Stewardship fundingOutstanding Universal Value (OUV), orinternational significance. Data fromthis survey was also used to informthe UNESCO Periodic Reportingrequirement, a mandatory six-yearlyassessment of a Site’s OUV andcondition.As common to most metalliferousmine sites, Wheal Busy was workedand reworked under differentmanagements, with new machinerybeing adopted by successivecompanies working the sett. Thebuildings which are to be targetedwithin the current HLS project datefrom the mid nineteenth throughto the early twentieth centuries,these being the pumping enginehouse complex at Engine Shaft (1856,Scheduled Monument, at NGR: SW73927 44827), comprising its laterattached boiler house (1909) and theadjacent boiler chimney (1856).The much-needed conservation workat Wheal Busy is being progressedby a partnership comprising NaturalEngland with the site’s owners, theTregothnan Estate. The consolidationworks are to be entirely fundedthrough the Natural England HigherLevel Stewardship (HLS) scheme,and specifically the Historical andArchaeological Feature Protectionfacility of this (HAP). The HLSscheme targets European Unionenvironmental funds via DEFRA (theDepartment for Environment, Foodand Rural Affairs), to improve landmanagement under the aegis of theEnvironmental Stewardship Scheme(ESS). It is anticipated that £230,000will be made available to undertakethe works programme.The house at the Engine Shaft sitehas contained three different enginesduring its life; the first of these wasan 85 inch cylinder Harvey-builtengine, the installation of whichprompted much celebration whenthe foundation stone was set inMay 1856. Over 10,000 people areunderstood to have attended theevent with many of these arriving bytrain courtesy of the West CornwallRailway. The inauguration includeda formal procession to the mine, aspecial service at Chacewater Church,a roast ox, and a celebration dinnerfor the adventurers followed byfireworks. Following the cessation ofthis working in 1868 the engine wassold, but in January 1872 a 90 inchengine was ordered from the Williams’Perran Foundry at Perranarworthalwhich was installed and working onsite by December that year. Knownas Jose’s Engine, after one of thepartners in the new venture, its life atthe mine was to be only brief as it wassubmitted for auction in September1873 following the mine’s closure. Theengine house was to be reused forthe third time in 1909 when a secondhand85 inch engine was installed,also of Perran Foundry construction,and at this time the original attachedboiler house was demolished anda new construction erected on thewestern side, to accommodate threeLancashire boilers.Left: a conservation management plan hasbeen produced for the unique Smithy buildingat Wheal Busy, to inform future conservationinitiatives

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 201417Managing the day to day deliveryof the project are the conservationconsultants PWH of Barnstaple whichhave also undertaken an extensivetotal station measured survey of thewhole Wheal Busy site prior to thecommencement of works. Beyond thefeatures receiving attention here isa largely heather and gorse coveredlandscape of some 24 hectares (60acres) in extent, containing over70 shafts, numerous spoil tips,the remains of a processing worksand arsenic calciner, dating fromc.1908, and boiler and process waterreservoirs.The preparation phase of the projecthas included the commissioning of adetailed archaeological study of thewhole site in additionto ecological surveysto assess the natureof the flora and fauna,with particular regardfor rare bryophyteand bat species.These reports will beused to inform thebuilding conservationand to ensure thisis undertaken withdue regard forthe site’s ecology.Archaeological andWorld HeritageSite advice isbeing provided byCornwall CouncilSenior Archaeologists Ann Reynolds,Colin Buck, and the author, and atthe time of writing (early August)the vegetation clearance had justcommenced and the chimneyscaffolding erected.This project follows the successfulconservation of three engine housesand a chimney at the Wheal Virgin sitewithin the Wheal Maid Valley near StDay, last year. Here Natural EnglandHLS funding to a total of £270,000 wasused to conserve some of the oldestCornish engine houses within theWHS, this figure also covering the fullcost of the works. Darrock and BrownLtd., now known as Heritage CornwallLtd., undertook the conservation andto a high standard.For Wheal Busy, the specialistconservation builders KingstonConstruction Ltd. have secured thetender to undertake the sensitiverepairs. Within Natural England,the case officers Beth Tonkin andHugh Tyler are delivering the HLSagreement, and with Simon Leather,Tregothnan Estate Senior Agent, areto be thanked for their considerableinput and support in bringing thisproject into being.While much will be achieved throughthe HLS funded project at Wheal Busy,there remain other features in needof attention which are unfortunatelybeyond the scope of the currentscheme, including the early twentiethcentury arsenic calcining plant. TheOne of the two impressive cast iron lintels above entrances to the Smithy, anticipatinggood fortune for the mine in 1872 which unfortunately did not materialise; the mine wasto close again by the end of July the following yearforemost of these additional features,however, is the mine Smithy; thisextensive workshop building (ListedGrade II), the main range of whichmeasures some 30m by 13m, is thelargest of its type in Cornwall andDevon, and formerly contained theforges which fulfilled the mine’smetal working and tool sharpeningneeds. Dating from the reworking of1872, the Smithy is thought to be anadaptive reuse of the earlier Miners’Dry and Pitmans’ House, and retainstwo distinctive cast iron door lintels.Manufactured by the Williams’ PerranFoundry - the Williams family weremajor shareholders in the mine atthis time - these impressive featuresproclaim ‘Great Wheal Busy Mines’,with the date ‘1872’ at the centre.These convey well the confidenceand pride of the management in theirnew undertaking. The Williams familyheld extensive mining interests acrossCornwall and beyond, and as Williamsand Co. were instrumental in pursuingcopper and pyrite mining at theTigroney - Cronebane mines in Avoca,Ireland, from 1832. The Williams familythrough Williams Foster and Co.were also a driving force behind themighty Morfa copper smelting worksat Swansea (1835-1880), described asbeing the largest non-ferrous metalsmelter in the world by the midnineteenthcentury.The Wheal Busy Smithy has sufferedfrom underuse for many years and inrecent times has deteriorated badlywith its scantle slate roof failingin large sections.Though the HLSfunding cannotunfortunatelybe extended toaddress the costlyconservationchallenge posed bythe Smithy, estimatedto be in excessof £500,000, theproject has includedthe preparationof a conservationmanagement planwhich is availableto inform futureinitiatives.The Wheal Busy project is an excellentexample of a partnership deliveringmuch needed conservation withinthe WHS. The Cornish Mining WorldHeritage team is hoping that theincoming Natural England ‘NELMS’programme (the New EnvironmentalLand Management Scheme and theeventual successor to the current ESS)will facilitate further consolidationwork in the future.This article was prepared withreference to the Wheal Busyarchaeological assessment preparedby Cornwall Council SeniorArchaeologist Colin Buck on behalf ofPWH Surveyors Ltd:Buck, C. (2013) Wheal Busy Mine,Chacewater, Cornwall: Sections of aConservation Management Statement

18 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterStorm damage repair atPortreathDuring late December andearly January, a combinationof high tides, strong windsand the localised effects of sustainedheavy rainfall caused significantconcern across Cornwall and westDevon. Coastal areas were subject tothe most significant ensuing damageand within the World Heritage SitePortreath Harbour on the northCornish coast suffered the most.Portreath has been described as themost important mineral harbourThe northern extent of the Eastern Breakwater(above) which has been rebuilt using theoriginal granite dimension-stone followingextensive winter storm damage (main)(A. Brigden)in Cornwall in the early nineteenthcentury and many thousands of tonsof copper ore and coal have passedthrough the docks, facilitating thetranshipment of ore to the smelters insouth Wales and the return of coal toCornwall for industrial and domesticuse.Unusually strong winds incombination with spring tidesbattered the historic structures of theharbour over the Christmas and NewYear period and extensive damagewas caused to the Eastern Breakwaterof the harbour (c.1760) where extremewave action resulted in the removalof eight courses of granite facingblocks and the associated rubbleinfill. Additional courses of granitefacing and infill were also lost fromthe parapet walling set back from theend of the breakwater, and formerlyadjoining the above section.For the more extensive WesternBreakwater (c.1824), or pier, damagewas caused to the steel handrails atits northernmost extent but the mostsignificant impact here was the loss ofthe Forward Observation Hut, a smallgranite shelter (c.1890s) located at theend of the breakwater, on 3rd January.Also known locally as the ‘PepperPot’ or ‘Monkey House’, the hut is aparticularly distinctive feature of theharbour infrastructure at Portreath.Although somewhat stretched indealing with other storm-relateddemands across Cornwall at thetime, staff of Cornwall Council werenevertheless able to respond ingood order and instigate a repairprogramme. Former Cornwall CouncilSenior Building Conservation OfficerKaren Pritchard liaised with CornwallCouncil Maritime Manager CaptainAndy Brigden, who secured repairestimates to address the damageto the Eastern Breakwater. Giventhe importance of the harbour tothe Outstanding Universal Value, orinternational significance, of the WHS,a ‘like for like’ reinstatement optionwas requested and this was supportedby the WHS Partnership. Theconsultants Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd.of Exeter were engaged to work withCornwall Council to prepare tenderdocuments for the required works.Through discussion it was expressed

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 201419that the Forward ObservationHut should also be reinstated asan important part of the harbourinfrastructure within the period ofinterest of the World Heritage Site(1700-1914).Works have progressed well atPortreath during the spring, overseenby Andy Brigden who has deliveredthe agreed repair schedule tothe breakwaters and associatedfeatures. The greatest challengeto Andy and his team has been torecover the granite which comprisedthe forward observation hut. Thishad been scattered across thebeach surrounding the end of thebreakwater and in some instanceswas thrown a considerable distancefrom its origin. It was feared that thisfeature was permanently lost butfortunately all the granite has beenrecovered and this is now being usedin the reconstruction. Karen Pritchardfortunately had access to detailedphotos of the interior and exterior,and these are proving invaluable ininforming an accurate rebuild. At thetime of writing (July) the hut is aroundeighty per cent complete and theworks have involved the re-fabricationof the replacement interior steelworkused to support and secure thegranite roof sections.Other works to the Portreathbreakwaters include the repointingof masonry around the wave barrierprotecting the inner harbour,using lime based mortar to replaceAbove: the ‘wave breaker’inside the Harbour followingthe reinstatement of the castconcrete coping sections,most of which had beendisplaced (A. Brigden). Notethe date ‘1946’ on the cementcoping to the rightthe existing cement-rich fill. Thefinal stage of the works will be toreinstate public access to the WesternBreakwater which will hopefully beachieved through the nomination ofa designated key holder to controlaccess out of hours and during roughweather. The breakwater has beenclosed to the public for many yearsand reinstated access will enable abetter appreciation of the harbourthan has been possible in recenttimes.While the storm damage to theharbour has unfortunately beenextensive the response from theCornwall Council team and theircontractors has been commendable;the World Heritage Site Partnershipextends its thanks to all thoseconcerned in delivering this importantwork and to a high standard.Above and left: the northern extent of theWestern Breakwater featuring the ForwardObservation Hut, which is being rebuilt usingthe original granite; inset image shows theextent of the damage caused in January(A. Brigden)

Right20 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterRight: Cast members of thenew Poldark television seriesabout to enter the mine forthe recent filming (DavidEdwards)New life at PoldarkPoldark Mine near Wendron is set inthree acres of gardens in a very ruralarea of Cornwall just 6 miles from thesea. The well-known mining attraction hasrecently reopened under new managementand as part of the Cornish Mining WorldHeritage Site has a special place in the storyof tin mining.The Poldark Mortar Outcrop, a ScheduledMonument within the main car park, isbelieved to have been used during the latterhalf of the prehistoric period (approximately2000 BC to 43 AD) to grind tin ore to finesand before smelting. Hidden until 2001 bya layer of soil, the outcrop at Poldark furtherextends the historical importance of Cornwallas a centre of metalliferous mining and shedsvaluable light on the roots of our industrialheritage. Trenear Stamps, a mechanisedtin crushing site, is also recorded as beingin operation by 1493, within what is nowPoldark. This is understood to be the firstsuch site recorded in Cornwall.Poldark Mine is famed for its links with thepopular Poldark television series of the 1970s,with scenes of this being filmed within thelabyrinth of mine levels. Poldark has justrenewed this televisual relationship andDavid Edwards, the new Mine Manager, isdelighted to have hosted the productioncompany for the new series which is dueto air on BBC1 next year. As before, all theunderground sequences were filmed atPoldark and the unique Ting Tang Mine bell,cast at Perran Foundry in 1844, is also to beincluded.The open-air museum at Poldark containssome very rare machinery collected by PeterYoung the original founder of the site. Theunique Holman's Traversing Winding Enginecan be seen in operation which was exhibitedin Paris in 1900 where it won a gold medal forengineering excellence. This engine weighsin at a few tons but is in fact a model of the120 ton giant winder installed at nearbyDolcoath Mine to service its 3,300 feet deepWilliams Shaft, completed in 1912.Poldark, incorporating the former WhealRoots tin mine, remains a Registered Mineand almost 10 million gallons of water arepumped out each year - around 25,000 to35,000 gallons a day; it is the only Cornish tinmine being pumped. The site’s steam beamengine, built possibly by Harveys of Hayleand originally installed around 1850 at theBunny Mine near St Austell, was destined

Cornish Mining Newsletter Summer 201421to be the very last Cornish Enginein commercial service, and the lastengineman's chair will be on display inthe revamped museum.The site is also something of a havenfor wildlife and many virtually tameswallows nest and return year afteryear, and can regularly be spottedcircling the site. A pair of rare blackswans arrived on the millrace pond inJune and two pairs of kingfishers havenow made Poldark their home.Handicrafts are well represented atthe site and the Poldark Wood TurnersClub has its retail shop and clubhousewhere it provides a wide range ofbeautifully handmade items of carvedburr and other exotic woods. Thefamily run Coastal Beads is also on site,producing exquisite glass jewellery,stained glass pieces, and providingdemonstrations of their craft.David says:“we will be having a completemakeover before the end ofthe season and will be addinga good old fashioned tea room.In the meantime all our visitorsare very welcome to use themain lawn for their picnics andwatch the beam engine in itsponderous motion. We canprovide hot drinks or even hotwater if required - just ask.”To find out more about PoldarkMine, please log on to: www.poldark-mine.co.ukAbove: Poldark Mine with preserved pumping engine ofGreensplat clay works (left), the last to pump commercially inCornwallBelow: The prehistoric Mortar Outcrop at Poldark, a ScheduledMonument (Adam Sharpe)Above: The unique half-scale working model of the Holmans’ TraversingWinder constructed for the Paris Exhibition of 1900; restored through the WorldHeritage Site’s ‘Discover the Extraordinary’ project.

22 Summer 2014 Cornish Mining NewsletterCornish mining heritage: MountainMine, Allihies, IrelandThe combined man-engine/ winder engine house atMountain Mine, Allihies, CountyCork (1862) is the best preservedbuilding of its type internationally.Thought originally to have containeda 36 inch cylinder Cornish beamengine it is understood to have beenconceived by the Cornish engineerMichael Loam (1797-1871). Whenin operation, the man-engine tookmineworkers to and from the 128fathom (234m) level of the mine. Loamhad considerable experience in manenginedesign, being responsible forthe first man-engine installation inCornwall, at Tresavean Mine, Lanner,in 1842. While man-engines nevercame into widespread use, beingaffordable only to the larger and moreprofitable operations, a memorialplaque in Botus Fleming Church, ineast Cornwall, recalls the machine’sinventor and hints at its impact ineasing the lives of many mineworkers.In recognition of its historicimportance, the Mountain Mineengine house was carefullyconsolidated in 2004 by the MiningHeritage Trust of Ireland (MHTI),working with Darrock & Brown Ltd.,conservation builders from Cornwall(now Heritage Cornwall Ltd.).

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