Wheal Coates, Cornwall
The buildings to be seen at Wheal Coates date from the reopening of the mine in 1872 but work was sporadic until its 1889 closure. For some years, the yield was 20lb of tin per ton of ore. In 1906, new ownership hoped to work the mine for both tin and copper. At the height of its production, 140 people were employed at the site to mine a seam of tin just below sea level but this and a subsequent period of operation from 1911-1913 were not very successful because tin production was sporadic. The mine finally closed in 1914.
The surviving buildings date from the 1870s when deep underground mining began at the site and were stabilised and preserved in 1986. There are three engine houses that formerly housed Cornish engines. Towanroath Pumping Engine House (1872) was used to pump water from the adjacent 600 ft Towanroath shaft. There are two Whim engine houses which were used to crush ore for processing. "Old Whim" was built in the mid-19th century, while "New Whim" was built in the late 19th centuery. A calciner dating from 1910–1913 when the mine was reopened, roasted the tin to remove impurities such as arsenic.
The surviving structures were all listed as Grade II buildings on 31 October 1988: The Stamps House, the chimney east of the New Whim engine house, the Old Whim and New Whim engine houses, the Towanroath engine house, and the calciner. Wheal Coates is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and is maintained by the National Trust. Along with the Botallack Mine (Crowns Section) the Towanroath Pumping Engine is considered to be one of the iconic mining structures on the Cornish Coast.
Read MoreThe surviving buildings date from the 1870s when deep underground mining began at the site and were stabilised and preserved in 1986. There are three engine houses that formerly housed Cornish engines. Towanroath Pumping Engine House (1872) was used to pump water from the adjacent 600 ft Towanroath shaft. There are two Whim engine houses which were used to crush ore for processing. "Old Whim" was built in the mid-19th century, while "New Whim" was built in the late 19th centuery. A calciner dating from 1910–1913 when the mine was reopened, roasted the tin to remove impurities such as arsenic.
The surviving structures were all listed as Grade II buildings on 31 October 1988: The Stamps House, the chimney east of the New Whim engine house, the Old Whim and New Whim engine houses, the Towanroath engine house, and the calciner. Wheal Coates is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and is maintained by the National Trust. Along with the Botallack Mine (Crowns Section) the Towanroath Pumping Engine is considered to be one of the iconic mining structures on the Cornish Coast.
