In a mid-19thC. engine house I'm surveying the chimney stack stands about 10 m. from the boiler house which is against the engine house. At ground level on the chimney is a 2 foot square aperture leading through the stack to the flue. I assume that this where the hot gasses from the boiler vented. My queries are these -
1) How would the hot gasses be contained on their journey - iron tube or brickwork?
2) Would the cross-section be circular, semi-circular or square to mate with the aperture at the bottom of the chimney?
3) Would the passageway lie on the surface or would it be mainly buried only to emerge before joining the chimney?
4) What form would the join to the aperture in the chimney take?

I'm really keen to produce a detailed drawing/description of these structures and I'd be very grateful for any information. My researches so far haven't revealed the answers although this forum has rapidly settled earlier queries.
Best wishes, Ian Howes

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Which engine house is this as we may have pics or even know more on its construction... not Druid by any chance?

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Just gone thru several detail pics of engine houses and it appears often to be be buried just below surface, in virtually all my notes it has been an arched flue or slabbed, couldn't find a metal tube type anywhere in my pics but i am sure i have seen the odd one. At the base of the Chimney the flue from memory usually just seems built up to the aperture and sealed with mortar as against keyed in.. having said that I have seen some with keyed in flues also.

In general I can't say there seems to be a common method or design. Not in my experience... Others may have a different view. Regards ICLOK

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Well done, ICLOK, it is Druid! Do you know it of old? it's very overgrown at present but there is enough to keep me busy and enthusiastic. I've got permission to do a bit of excavation so maybe a Time Team type trench ( good alliteration, eh?) will reveal a bit more about the airway. Thanks for your help. I'll keep you informed.
Best wishes, Ian H.

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Is it yours? as its one of my favourites and deserves a bit of TLC, I first visited in the late 90s and have had a peek but could never work out who owned it to ask back then.
There is a nice piece on the remaining engine houses in South Devon by the PDMHS at....http://www.pdmhs.com/PDFs/ScannedBulletinArticles/Bulletin%2013-2%20-%20A%20Survey%20of%20Engine%20Houses%20on%20the%20Mines%20of%20S.pdf 
My pics at
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Druid-Copper-Mine-2-Archive-Album/ 

If you are digging it can I play if I can get as there are certain features i am intrigued by.... :flowers:

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No, sadly it's not mine but it does belong to very close friends who bought the woods mainly, I think, to establish a bird sanctuary - they've lots of boxes in the trees. They are very interested in the history however and have provided me with a fair bit of background material and publications that came along with the deeds including a survey by English Heritage done about ten years ago. I've taken it on myself to carry out more research especially about the machinery that once was on site. There have been two different pumping engines, two boilers and a whim engine at one time or another but none seem to have been particularly well researched. My hope is to be able to put together a fair picture of the mine as it was worked, including a good description and drawings of the inside of the engine house based on what remains now. Many thanks for your links and photos, especially the one of the shaft. I haven't been brave enough to get so close! In time (and when I find out how to) I'll put up some of my drawings and photos too. Best wishes. Ian H.

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The pump rod was still there in 2003 but gone soon after... I wish you luck and if I need access could you perhaps PM me some details re the owner as I would like to visit the site next time I'm down.

Regards IC

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