Hi guys and gals,

I am wondering if anyone has access to information about mining in the Landulph/Cargreen area as I have found a curious tunnel by the Tamar.

Also rumours abound about mining in Saltash but I cannot find any references, the local museum seemed surprised. The is a lane called adit lane which has what appears to be an adit, allegedly the Saltash road tunnel cut through an adit accounting for it leaking like a seive when it opened and I have heard there were workings under longstone park

Any info would be appreciated thanks,

Russ

A K Hamilton Jenkin's 'Mines and Miners of Cornwall' Vol XIV (St Austell to Saltash) has much of the information you need. The adit to which you refer is identified by AKHJ as Wheal Tamar, driven 1000' west from just above Saltmill Creek to terminate under Longstone.

Having grown up and gone to school in Saltash, and living about 10 minutes' walk from the adit entrance, I have clear memories of seeing its gated-off entrance on one side of the lane that led to the Creek -where there was an extensive Council Tip that was slowly being used to infill the Creek itself. I also recall the copious amounts of water draining from the adit.

If Wheal Tamar did indeed reach Longstone, it must have been virtually beneath our house. It certainly must have penetrated the pillow (or submarine) lavas that create the high ground here and on the Saltash High School new site up at Wearde.

I encourage you to access AKHJ's book.

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An article about mines around Saltash in Plymouth Caving Group Journal 118, copy in Plymouth Library. All
the original information we could find, surveys etc.

Your 'strange' tunnel by the Tamar, if it's close to Landulph, is probably the adit of the short-lived "West Tamar Silver-Lead Mine", 1851-ish. It never took off, other than the approx 50m adit.

Hello Portreath Prince; that's interesting. Which part of the 'old main road' do you mean?

Hola, Prince.

Any clues as to the 'old main-road'? Saltash maybe?