aerial
  • aerial
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15 years ago
Does anyone have any information about Ghost Croft mine. Mining records history etc.
It provided a 3 ton native copper slab for the Great Exibition which is now in the Natural History Museum. Also known as Wheal Unity.
Jim
Peter Burgess
15 years ago
I'd need to check, but I have read something about this site. I think it was in Hamilton-Jenkin's volume on the Lizard.
wheal
  • wheal
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15 years ago
Dines also mentions it briefly on page 243 stating it was also known as Goosecroft and Wheal Trenance. 2 or 3 shafts are known. Closed in 1860. The large chunk of copper was found in a steatite (soapstone) vein in serpentine.
poke around long enough and you'll find something..
spitfire
15 years ago
The first mention of this mine was in 1741 so named after the Jack O' Lanterns that were said to be on the crofts at that time.
There is a rumor that an adit was driven from a sea cave at Porth Pyg but this is probably pure myth and more likely to be near Mullion harbour.
The specimen of copper that was sent to London came from a slab 30' long 4' wide and 6" thick, some of this slab was made into a table and is now owned by Lord Falmouth.
spitfire
stuey
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15 years ago
I read there is an extensive adit near mullion. Haven't seen it myself. If I recall rightly, there are 2 shafts at Ghost Croft, brimmed with water and a flat rod pit.....unless that's somewhere else.

Adit is marked on the HJ maps
Alasdair Neill
15 years ago
There are numerous refs scattered through the Lanhydrock estate records at the Courtney Library (particularly Hamilton Jenkin Collection) and at CRO.
aerial
  • aerial
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15 years ago
Thanks for the replies.
I live not far from the mine and am interested in the history. I would be particularly interested to know where the adit is at Porth Pyg (I believe that is the cove just south of Mullion Harbour) although there is a regular rock fall in that vicinity.
I assume that although there were deposits of copper they were difficult to find or isolated. I also assume they were associated with faulting?
Jim
stuey
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15 years ago
This may be of interest. You can see that the slip is on a fault. Hopefully they didn't drive an adit along it for ease....

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/geomincentre/06The%20Lizard.pdf 
RRX
  • RRX
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15 years ago
The one i think you mentioning Stuey is sat in the middle of Goonhilly Downs, 2 flooded shafts with a channel linking them, remains of enginehouse, looked to be pumped to surface as drain visible

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.03311,-5.188336&spn=0.00134,0.003484&t=h&z=19 

I had a quick wander round unity not long ago but other than spoil i couldn't see anything open on surface

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010387,-5.247624&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

also wheal foss which is just down the road seems to have been wiped out bar some spoil tips

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.003533,-5.248257&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

there are reports of shafts and an adit according to dines here

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010407,-5.121667&spn=0.005364,0.013937&t=h&z=17 

[tweak]Thanks for the links - have made them clickable[/tweak]
www.carbisbaycrew.co.uk Cornwall's Underground Site
lozz
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12 years ago
"RRX" wrote:

The one i think you mentioning Stuey is sat in the middle of Goonhilly Downs, 2 flooded shafts with a channel linking them, remains of enginehouse, looked to be pumped to surface as drain visible

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.03311,-5.188336&spn=0.00134,0.003484&t=h&z=19 

I had a quick wander round unity not long ago but other than spoil i couldn't see anything open on surface

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010387,-5.247624&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

also wheal foss which is just down the road seems to have been wiped out bar some spoil tips

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.003533,-5.248257&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

there are reports of shafts and an adit according to dines here

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010407,-5.121667&spn=0.005364,0.013937&t=h&z=17 

[tweak]Thanks for the links - have made them clickable[/tweak]



The one in the first link looks like the one I poked around about 40 years ago west and south of pascoe pool south of goonhilly, Mine Waters possibly, possibly a scam mine? 'twas a long time ago.

Lozz.
Daz
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12 years ago
Hope this helps.

There are a number of abandoned mines in this area. Notable, Wheal Fenwick, The Gost Mine, Wheal Unity, The Gwinnins, The Mullion Mine, Mullion United Mines, Pollurian Mine, Predannack Wartha, Wheal Providence, Rocky Ninnis Cove, Trennance Mine, and South Wheal Unity Mine respectively. Also, there are a number of small trials. Many of the above were separate ventures, and many were amalgamated as part of the Wheal Unity Sett. The mines were worked for native copper, chalcocite and malachite, between the years 1724 and 1860. Many of the extensive waste dumps from the mine were utilised for the construction of Predannack airfield during the 1940s when many of the shafts were filled in. The main workings and deep adit level of Unity were driven on a Steatite vein, or lode, with at least three isolated shafts and two drainage adits, driven from The Vro. At low tide, you can scramble down to this, but it's no fun in the wet. I have done this several times over the years, but couldn't get to the bit I wanted to, due to cliff falls. I'm not entirely sure if the adit levels are even accessible now? I may go back one summer at low tide with a kayak, but I'm not hopefull. There are other adit levels and cliff workings, and what looks like some stoping around from the harbour, but again, most of which has now collapsed. Hope this helps out. 🙂
Daz
Daz
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12 years ago
"RRX" wrote:

The one i think you mentioning Stuey is sat in the middle of Goonhilly Downs, 2 flooded shafts with a channel linking them, remains of enginehouse, looked to be pumped to surface as drain visible

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.03311,-5.188336&spn=0.00134,0.003484&t=h&z=19 

I had a quick wander round unity not long ago but other than spoil i couldn't see anything open on surface

Hi RRX, there is an open adit level, not far from where you went. It's flooded, but it is accessible and worth exploring, if you're in the area, just to say you've done it. But don't make a special trip.

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010387,-5.247624&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

also wheal foss which is just down the road seems to have been wiped out bar some spoil tips

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.003533,-5.248257&spn=0.002682,0.006968&t=h&z=18 

there are reports of shafts and an adit according to dines here

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.010407,-5.121667&spn=0.005364,0.013937&t=h&z=17 

[tweak]Thanks for the links - have made them clickable[/tweak]

🙂 🙂
Daz

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