Levant Mine and Beam Engine

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Levant Mine and Beam Engine
Levant Mine from the air.jpg
Levant Mine seen from the air
Typeindustrial heritage, mine
Location Trewellard, Cornwall, England
Coordinates 50°09′08″N5°41′08″W / 50.15222°N 5.68556°W / 50.15222; -5.68556
Owner National Trust
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iii, iv
Designated2006 (30th session)
Part of Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
Reference no. 1215
Region Europe and North America
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameLevant Engine Houses
Designated19 March 1979
Reference no. 1143268
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameSkip Shaft Headframe, Geevor Mine (Levant Section)
Designated13 July 2011
Reference no. 1401870
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameHigher Levant Mine
Designated11 June 2019
Reference no. 1460143
Cornwall UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Levant Mine and Beam Engine in Cornwall

Levant Mine and Beam Engine is a National Trust property at Trewellard, Pendeen, near St Just, Cornwall, England, UK. Its main attraction is that it has the world's oldest Cornish steam winding engine still working in its original location (and the last such engine still in steam in Cornwall). [1] There is also a visitor centre, a short underground tour, and the South West Coast Path leads to Botallack Mine, via a cliff-top footpath. [2]

Contents

In 1919 the engine used to transport men between the different levels of the mine failed, leading to the deaths of thirty-one men. Since 2006, the area has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Location

Levant Mine Levant Mine 1.jpg
Levant Mine
Looking up at Levant Mine Levant Mine 2.jpg
Looking up at Levant Mine
Levant Mine Landscape Levant Mine 3.jpg
Levant Mine Landscape
Levant Mine Cornwall Levant Mine 4.jpg
Levant Mine Cornwall
Lelant Engine.jpg

The property is on the site of the former Levant Mine, established in 1820 and closed in 1930, where tin and copper ores were raised. The mine reached a depth of about 600 metres. It got the nickname "mine under the sea", because tunnels were driven up to 2.5 km from the cliffs under the sea. The surviving beam engine was built c.1840 by Harvey's of Hayle. [3]

Overview sketch of the buildings and ruins of the Levant Mine (buildings and ruins still existing shown in red) Levant-Mine Gebaeude en.jpg
Overview sketch of the buildings and ruins of the Levant Mine (buildings and ruins still existing shown in red)

History

The mine yields both copper and tin and was opened in 1820 with twenty shares of £20 each. From first opening, to circa 1883, the mine gave a profit of £171,000 from approximately £1,300,000 worth of ore. In 1882 the mine was taken over by new owners on a 21 year lease, who replaced machinery and improved the surface-works. [4]

In 1883 three shafts were open. One shaft is occupied by the man-engine, a second by a pumping-engine and the third for hauling out the skips. Since the introductions of skips, for bringing ore to the surface, two shafts were abandoned. There were six engines on site,

  1. pumping-engine, 45 inches (1,100 mm) cylinder – pumps water from the mine
  2. stamping, 30 inches (760 mm) cylinder – breaks up the ore
  3. winding-engine or whim, 26 inches (660 mm) cylinder – raises the ore to the surface
  4. man-engine, 24 inches (610 mm) cylinder
  5. crushing-machine, 18 inches (460 mm) cylinder
  6. winding-engine, 14 inches (360 mm) cylinder. [5]

A description of the working conditions of the mine was described in The Cornishman newspaper in 1883. Around 366 men, boys, and girls were employed compared with about 600 prior to 1882. The mine was worked in three, eight-hour shifts, (except on Sunday) with fifty to sixty men working underground in each shift. Access to the underground levels (i.e. passages) was by ladder and the temperature was around 92 °F (33 °C). The men were all more or less working in a nude state and sweating profusely. They were provided with spring water which was stored in huge canteens. Few are able to work underground after the age of 35. [4] [6] The width of the levels are 7 feet (2.1 m) high and 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) wide, while the width of the lode is from 6 inches (150 mm) to 3 feet (0.91 m) wide. Thus a quantity of hard rock on each side of the lode has to be cut away at great expense. The levels are expanded by explosives. First a hole is made by hand-drill 20 inches (510 mm) deep, taking about two hours and the hole is charged with gunpowder. Premature ignition causes many injuries and fatalities. A 14 inches (360 mm) cylinder engine raised the ore to the surface in skips on two parallel inclines, one ascending as the other was lowered. [6]

1919 disaster

On 20 October 1919 an accident killed 31 miners, when a metal bracket at the top of a rod broke on the man engine. To use the man engine, the miners stepped on to a ladder, were transported 12 feet (3.7 m) up or down, climbed off onto a sollar, waited for the ladder to reset its position, then stepped back on to the ladder, repeating the process. The rod broke in several pieces and heavy timbers crashed down the shaft. A large scale rescue operation was able to save some of the miners. The engine was not replaced and the lower levels of the mine were abandoned. [7]

Minerals and ores

Mineral Statistics

From Robert Hunt's Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom [8] .

Copper Production (1845-1927)
Year(s)Ore (Tons)Metal (Tons)Value (£)
18451,088.00106.607,154.90
18461,293.00130.308,199.90
1847851.0098.806,849.10
18481,776.00177.609,857.20
18491,904.00170.9010,972.70
18502,668.00217.1014,156.80
18511,539.00118.107,350.30
18521,333.00101.607,993.20
18531,627.0091.308,141.30
18541,589.0087.708,201.20
18551,578.0094.909,060.80
18561,641.0094.007,859.40
18571,587.0081.607,446.10
18581,473.0096.808,267.30
18591,567.0090.307,940.10
1860957.0057.205,126.00
1861967.0061.805,260.70
18621,069.0071.305,508.10
18631,203.0085.206,252.50
1864839.0053.604,235.70
1865609.0042.203,112.40
1866349.0025.601,543.10
1867376.0037.202,493.00
1868380.0034.702,278.20
1869142.0018.601,185.80
1870100.0016.201,029.90
187172.009.00572.50
187374.008.00518.90
187461.0012.50912.60
1875123.0018.401,411.80
1876338.0041.602,767.30
1877419.8052.402,897.10
1878741.10100.705,386.40
1879385.6045.202,312.10
1880519.0070.303,990.70
18811,002.40123.906,949.60
18821,173.00117.307,800.00
18831,477.70155.007,357.00
18841,637.00..8,014.00
18851,364.00..6,073.00
1886634.00..3,419.00
1887727.00..3,698.00
18881,209.00..14,187.00
18891,505.00..7,293.00
18901,979.00..6,798.00
18912,189.00..5,994.00
18921,719.00..3,788.00
18931,230.00..3,441.00
18941,882.00..7,577.00
18954,333.00..15,730.00
18964,897.00..16,299.00
18973,455.00..11,009.00
18982,981.00..12,057.00
18993,627.00..17,827.00
19005,064.00..22,097.00
19013,550.00..17,430.00
19023,056.00..10,540.00
19033,381.00..10,961.00
19042,884.00..8,440.00
19053,387.00..11,788.00
19062,140.00..8,819.00
19071,962.00..9,007.00
1908807.00..4,215.00
19091,202.00..3,737.00
1910683.00..2,049.00
1911900.00..3,062.00
1912510.00..5,004.00
1913383.00..3,303.00
1914403.00..1,948.00
1915164.00..1,283.00
1916125.00..1,475.00
1916155.00..2,466.00
1917125.00..1,525.00
1917146.00..2,529.00
191841.00..513.00
191854.00..1,782.00
192296.00....
19234.90....
192413.00....
19259.00....
19269.00....
19274.60...
Tin Production (1852-1970)
Year(s)Black (Tons)Stuff (Tons)Tin (Tons)Value (£)
185257.50......
185341.00....2,861.50
1854287.40....19,540.00
1855310.00....20,099.70
1856218.40....15,659.80
1857192.20....15,161.90
1858151.30....9,587.20
1859210.50....15,479.50
1860227.30....18,138.60
1861178.50....13,404.10
1862241.30....15,906.60
1863170.30....11,178.30
1864184.00....11,920.80
1865183.30....9,913.90
186694.90....9,657.70
1867187.10....9,916.90
1868134.90....7,434.00
1869174.10....12,073.30
1870138.80....9,914.10
187186.30....6,368.80
18726.80....456.60
187383.90....6,154.80
1874150.10....8,024.20
1875195.60....9,592.90
1876247.80....10,518.00
1877260.10....10,569.50
1878233.20....8,323.60
1879273.60....10,944.00
1880227.40....11,452.50
1881232.60..158.5012,603.60
1882230.20..196.7013,475.00
1883283.10....14,984.00
1884316.70....14,498.00
1885452.20....21,664.00
1886456.40....25,244.00
1887492.40....30,598.00
1888436.90....28,182.00
1889451.20....24,769.00
1890475.00....26,730.00
1891578.40....31,436.00
1892498.80....27,265.00
1893665.00....33,775.00
1894628.90....26,109.00
1895517.30....19,630.00
1896421.50....16,201.00
1897571.80....23,162.00
1898556.00....24,428.00
1899551.40....38,940.00
1900464.00....37,852.00
1901514.20....37,075.00
1902573.20....43,726.00
1903561.80....43,925.00
1904540.40....43,005.00
1905528.50....46,450.00
1906456.90....49,031.00
1907338.80....37,044.00
1908361.60....28,670.00
1909422.00....33,857.00
1910370.00....33,490.00
1911431.00....49,035.00
1912363.30....46,593.00
1913381.00....45,583.00
1914447.00....36,912.00
1914119.009,053.00....
1915462.00....40,854.00
1915411.0026,380.00....
1916437.00....44,374.00
1916437.00....46,298.00
1917372.00....48,142.00
1917372.00....48,500.00
1918278.00....53,828.00
1918278.00....55,171.00
1919313.0015,355.00....
1922176.758,590.00....
1923278.0019,360.00....
1924454.0037,130.00....
1925396.0039,642.00....
1926295.0035,582.00....
1927357.0035,310.00....
1928414.0029,292.00....
1929-1931no-details......
1962no-details......
1966-1970no-details......
Arsenic Production (1881-1927)
Year(s)Ore (Tons)Value (£)
188120.0050.00
188220.0080.00
188311.3043.00
1884110.00467.00
1885207.80861.00
1886142.80625.00
1887144.00773.00
1888146.00762.00
1889173.00935.00
189075.00553.00
1891186.001,267.00
1892246.001,143.00
1893189.001,083.00
1894192.001,243.00
1895216.001,299.00
1896250.001,609.00
1897231.002,019.00
1898132.00434.00
1899200.00912.00
1900216.001,579.00
1904105.00368.00
1905650.001,787.00
1906234.002,267.00
1907196.004,222.00
1908106.00512.00
1909100.00569.00
191099.00586.00
1911163.00522.00
1912168.80563.00
1913122.00555.00
191458.00213.00
1916197.001,681.00
1916202.001,162.00
191786.002,351.00
191786.002,786.00
191852.002,938.00
191852.003,184.00
192211.00..
192315.00..
192494.00..
192540.00..
192630.00..
192710.00..
Employment (1878-1931)
Year(s)TotalOvergroundUnderground
1878294102192
187927987192
188029994205
188130896212
1882326105221
1883362116246
1884358114244
1885406127279
1886430134296
1887448133315
1888505150355
1889509159350
1890513159354
1891519154365
1892489157332
1893501162339
1894562179383
1895604192412
1896602201401
1897609202407
1898607198409
1899630203427
1900692213479
1901724226498
1902710201509
1903685201484
1904679200479
1905634199435
1906547188359
1907501181320
1908523171352
1909494172322
1910457165292
1911476171305
1912474172302
1913439167272
1914410164246
1915386164222
1916377161216
1917365156209
1918312136176
1918312136176
1919331144187
1919331144187
1920326150176
1921766610
19221186751
19231919794
1924232105127
1925276114162
1926257108149
1927255108147
19281929993
192919893105
19301587583
193122..

See also

References

  1. "History of Levant Mine and Beam Engine". National Trust. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  2. "Levant Mine and Beam Engine". National Trust. Retrieved 15 October 2011. (dead link 2 September 2019)
  3. "Levant Mine and Beam Engine". Cornwall Museums. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 Croft, E W (Ouit) (13 December 1883). "The Industries Of Penzance And Its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine". The Cornishman. No. 283. p. 7.
  5. 1 2 Croft, E W (Ouit) (20 December 1883). "The Industries of Penzance and its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine (continued)". The Cornishman. No. 284. p. 4.
  6. 1 2 Perambulating Contributor (29 October 1881). "Roundabout Papers No 9. A Visit To Levant Mine". The Cornishman. No. 281. p. 7.{{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  7. Wisdom, Phil (17 October 2019). "Levant centenary will be marked on Sunday". The Cornishman. p. 3.
  8. Burt, Roger; Burnley, Ray; Gill, Michael; Neill, Alasdair (2014). Mining in Cornwall and Devon: Mines and Men. University of Exeter Press. ISBN   978-0-85989-889-8.