Devon Great Consols (photo) · AditNow Community

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McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

I came across this very interesting photo in the Devon Great Consols Archive Album, I have been discussinig this photo with my cousin who lives on the site of Devon Great Consols and we have both come to the conclusion that the scene is being viewed from the North side looking South and relates to the area above the Mine Captains House (please see photo uploaded by me in this album. The tramway in the photo was possibly running down towards Wheal F*nny which was being worked in the 1920s.
I would be intersted to hear from anyone with any thoughts on this theory or from anyone with old photos of the DGC workings and surrounding area.

Cheers
Steve
Photograph:

🔗Devon-Great-Consols-Copper-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-005[linkphoto]Devon-Great-Consols-Copper-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-005[/linkphoto][/link]

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spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I know very little about this mine but here goes. It appears at one time this was cable worked as rollers can be seen between the tracks and vertical ones for the bend also the man seems to be riding on the tram rather than pushing it. I would think that he is coming from Wheal Fnny possibly Eastern shaft rather than going to it and down to the 1920s arsenic works.
The bend in the track ties in well with Richardson's sketch map of the site

spitfire

Dean Allison
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I'm curious about those tubs. I have seen ones the same as this up here and wondered if that was a fairly standard design at most mines throughout the country?

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I agree completely with you Spitfire as the roped incline is in the right place relative to the stack.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Hi Spitfire, your thouhts on the photo are very interesting...can you tell me if Richardson's plan/sketch map of the area is available on the internet, I have had a look for it but so far I have failed to find it.

Cheers
Steve

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Don't know if this will help but this is an RAF arial photo of the area in question...I have coloured some relevent points.... I think the yellow line could be the tramway and track in the photo, the Blue area is approx where the calciners were and the RED is the area where the stack is located, the Mine Captains House is located to the left of the yellow track and can be seen as a group of buildings.

A large version of this RAF photo can be seen in the Devon Great Consuls Archive album.

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Have sent you something which will explain why we think it is where we do. Look at the location of the Chimney in the top RH of you pic, the bank is the one that goes across the top of the site W to East and the incline is as Spitfire say fitted for rope working. It passes thru the bank to the west of the gate into the site.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

The map is in Richardson's book Mines of Dartmoor & the Tamar Valley

spitfire

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Thanks Spitfire...

Ian..when I first saw this photo I thought it was taken in the location you have opted for.....but having talked to my cousin that still lives on site .....I can also see the possibility of the the other location being posssible, My cousin has an old photograph taken from the north looking south and says the skyline profile of the dump material is almost an exact match, with the stack on the left. It's a great old photo either way.... I shall dig a bit deeper, but your theory appears very sound to me.

Regards
Steve

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#10

Let us know and happy hunting!
Regards IAN 😉

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#11

If you super size the photo' Steve you can see the arsenic flue just in front of the tram going under the rails and up to the stack

spitfire

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#12

You are right... :smartass:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

#13

That was the detail that brought me to my original loaction for the photo ( same as you guys)...this is such a large area with so much brickwork - building -tramways- tracks ....it can make these locations hard to pin point some times...I have run all over ( and under) this area as a child....and ever since, but still it can confuse me ...LOL!

Cheers
Steve

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#14

Yes I've done my fair share of cussing there... but an ace place and certainly in my top 20 uk sites....

Spitfire is this the mill we spoke of??? Lovely! 🙂
🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-33258[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-33258[/linkphoto][/link]
Regards IAN

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#15

Yes the mill would be just out of shot bottom left in the original photo'

spitfire

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

#16

You should upload this to he archive album Ian....the woodwork under that millstone is getiing very iffy now ...don't know how much longer it will hold..this site has altered dramatically since the 60's the re-working of the dumps in the 70's/80's changed the visual history a great deal. A lot of this area fell foul to the bulldozer...crying shame!

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#17

No I meant is this the grind stone we talked about, the refiner being just behind it and the two calciners thereafter!

All this talk got me fired up for a trip now, has access changed and is the site still the same i wonder Mr McKenzie?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#18

Already uploaded to User as it can still be seen.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

McKenzie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

#19

I am not sure how long ago you were there Ian, but I should think the area is much the same if you have been there in the five or six years, but some areas are being fenced off to some degree as they are in the process of creating a Mining Heritage Trail.

I remember the site being in a lot better condition in the 60's and early 70's - after this time quite a lot of work was done re-working the dumps, and quite large areas of the dumps were removed, and also some of the structures on the site were semi demolished. As you know DGC covers a large area and many interesting features are still to be seen, however the commercial woodland that covers most of the area obscures a great deal. The railway tunnel marked on Richrdsons Plan as "Arch Dump" has been demolished...not sure if that was the case when you were there last.

Steve

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#20

I was there first in late 90s and it was just one of those places you could get lost in .... mentally and physically. I was saying to Spitfire last night that there is shed loads in the woods to see. Hope they make a good trail of it and not Alton towers meets Arsenic!!! Tunnel had gone last time I was there...

regards Ian

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!