Stuey wrote.....
"I wouldn't really say Top Shaft was "behind" Nangiles Engine house."
Given the strike of the lode Stu, Top shaft would be 'behind' Engine Shaft; in a manner of speaking.
Back in about 1978 ish, Wheal Jane set to work with a swing shovel in the field next to the tip and adjoining the railway track (SE of Engine shaft). There they spent a couple of weeks 'poking around' and then started to dig in earnest.
I was living on the opposite side of the valley and had a bird’s eye view of what was going on.
One evening, accompanied by an equally intrigued local farmer we investigated the pit they had dug. The main pit was something in the region of 40-50 feet across and right down in one corner, only a little over 10 feet down we saw what looked like a wooden crate.
Closer inspection revealed it to be a timber lined hatch, the lid of which was just resting on the top. Removing the lid I looked down only to see a dirt floor about 4 feet below. Shifting my position I saw a dark space to one side and jumped in to investigate. Sure enough, they had punched through into the top of a stope. We legged it back to the car and zoomed off to get a couple of lamps.
Back to the pit and straight down the hatch. The stope was North dipping and shallow enough to walk down with ease but was fairly low where we entered. The height improved as we descended deeper into the mine. The timber supports in this stope panel had certainly seen better days and we steered well clear of them, especially the dog legged ones which were in the majority.
Reaching the bottom of the stope we were obviously on a tramming level and I decided we should head East toward Wheal Jane.
Presently we came across a stout wooden door (vent door) and there seemed to be a lot of racket going on on the other side. Giving the door a tug we were instantly greeted with a hell of a lot of ‘funky’ air being pulled along the level in front of us and being sucked up the shaft a few yards away to our left. This was Top Shaft. Not wanting to be gassed by all this foul air we turned back and made our way back along the base of the stope arriving at Nangiles Engine Shaft minutes later.
The shaft station was brightly lit as this was the emergency egress route for the miners working on this side of the hill. A ladderway from the station ran up the side of the shaft 25 feet to the manway which led outbye to a locked gate, the key for which was housed in a small wooden box on the wall about 30 feet from the gate.
After another look about we re-traced our steps and made our way out.
I now know that the drive with the ‘funk’ in it would have taken us via a small decline, down to Wheal Jane 2 level.
The stope was on Wheal Janes 'B' lode and the hatch was right on the outcrop of the lode.
As for other shafts, I think Crane’s was used for something for a while, possibly ventilation prior to using Top Shaft.
The whole area, Nangiles especially, holds a fascination for me with many unanswered questions.
I would love to see a map showing the contours of the hill prior to the railway’s arrival but as yet ....No Go. 😞
"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"