Hi everyone, i am new to this site & i am looking for fellow people who share the same interests as me in mining ! i live near liskeard cornwall & would love to find out more about my local mines ( south caradon mines ) & ultimatley if you can still access them ?? 🙂
thanks and any info would be greatly appreciated

Unfortunately there is little if any formal underground access to the Caradon mines - the local estate is very anti.

There is a heritage group active in the area: The Caradon Hill Project (or similar).

The East Cornwall branch of the Trevithick Society meets in Liskeard on a regular basis ( usually monthly) and meetings are open to non members.

Purely fortuitously the the EC Branch of the Trevithick Society is hosting a survey training meeting for the Caradon Hill project on Tuesday 12th June (Check out the ECB TS website) - might be a good point of contact for you. The best people to talk to are John & Cheryl Manley who are the leading lights in both groups.

The Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project (CHAHP) is a Cornwall Council/National Lottery-funded body which has a Blog and a website and is an excellent starting point. Their local 'HQ' is the Houseman's Shaft Engine House at Minions, although further contact details are provided at the two sites mentioned.

I agree with Tamarmole that the East Cornwall branch of the Trevithick Society is also a first-class contact, and they have indeed organised underground visits- though not at South Caradon.

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My mate Kev is at Tremar and is "out and about" in that area and knows lots of landowners and does a fair bit.

He posts as McDermit (or V similar) on here rarely.

Oddly enough, we met after he sent my no2 man a message.

S Caradon is very sensitive, probably due to mineral whackers and people forcing entry. It has been sealed for a very long time.

I've tapped kev up and he'll be along to post in due course. Very good bloke. Usually end up in the pub after going down a hole. He is a bad man.

Hi im Kev or as Stu puts it the bad man !! pm me and I will show you some holes ! 😉

Hi, thanks for all you help and info, should keep me busy for a while, if you get any more info on south caradon, either being re-opened, or other access please send me a message

Caradon used to be open and was fitted with a big metal trap door by some local mineral enthusiasts who had permission. (early 90's? )

This lapsed and in the meantime, the trap door (which is of huge construction) rusted solid. The lock is also inaccessible and is rusted solid.

Kenneth Brown and Bob Acton talked about an adit collapse. People had used this to bypass the trap door. This has subsequently totally collapsed and is utterly inaccessible.

A local group was looking into getting permission to go underground there, but I gather it is a non-starter due to the collapses and the amount of digging required.

There is no access there nor is there likely to be any at any point in the future, unless Pearce's Shaft opens up.

To the best of my knowledge, the last people in there were the minerals lot who may or may not be poking around.

Edit:- Also, it is very likely that the adit collapse has also blocked off the trap door access tunnel. Rotten granite.

cheers stuey. meeting up with kev tomorrow and he is going to show me around

Have fun. Kev is an exceedingly good bloke.

I have today been to look at South Caradon and was disappointed to find the old access - via the lane which led to the stone railway blocks - is an access spot no longer "encouraged". Barbed wire and boulders together with copious quantities of axle grease coating the top of the fencing is in evidence. Whilst taking pictures there (on the right side of the fencing) A fearsome looking chap turned up and gave me the once over from his big black motor,but continued on his way when it was obvious I was not gaining access there. Longish hike over the moors from the east still gave me access to Kitto's complex. But,hey,what a sad state of affairs! 'Fings are most certainly not what they used to be!!

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I have today been to look at South Caradon and was disappointed to find the old access - via the lane which led to the stone railway blocks - is an access spot no longer "encouraged". Barbed wire and boulders together with copious quantities of axle grease coating the top of the fencing is in evidence. Whilst taking pictures there (on the right side of the fencing) A fearsome looking chap turned up and gave me the once over from his big black motor,but continued on his way when it was obvious I was not gaining access there. Longish hike over the moors from the east still gave me access to Kitto's complex. But,hey,what a sad state of affairs! 'Fings are most certainly not what they used to be!!

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I am lost where you are Dickie.
I drive up the track from Crows Nest, under the disused railway bridge, through a gate, and park over on the left.
Lots of locals do similar to walk their dogs.
Its a public right of way up Seton Valley

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I did a circuit of Caradon Hill yesterday, including South Caradon - no problems.

I see my error. Previously I have driven up to the road known as Caradon Heights and that is where to blocked off access is situated.Old age and failing memory is the culprit I fear,or,as the late Harry Parker of NMRS would have remarked, "a case of altitude lassitude!" Anyway,the walk did me good!

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