Williams Shaft, Dolcoath · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Tried to have a look last weekend but found it has become a Traveller's Caravan site. Rather an odd choice as with a few caravans it is full. At least it is not easily spotted by the Council from their offices.
This site is not well known outside Mining enthusiasts and despite restoration a while a go, has been vandalised, neglected and now overun, yet it is one of the few public sites where electric winding was used with some remains in situ. :(

(Correction: Should be electric pumping NOT winding!)

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your AditNow Community forum account or Register a new forum account

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

http://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/scrofty.php

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

agricola
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Says a lot for being a World Heritage Site :lol:

If it can't be grown it has to be mined.

spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

"Dolcoathguy" wrote:
Tried to have a look last weekend but found it has become a Traveller's Caravan site. Rather an odd choice as with a few caravans it is full. At least it is not easily spotted by the Council from their offices.
This site is not well known outside Mining enthusiasts and despite restoration a while a go, has been vandalised, neglected and now overun, yet it is one of the few public sites where electric winding was used with some remains in situ. :(

Traveller's have also moved in at Grenville

spitfire

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Bumped into some people I know who regularly walk the Great Flat lode trial, apparently the caravans have been at William's shaft for several weeks now.
It might mean the council maybe forced to tidy up the site and do what they did at South Wheal Frances with low entry crossbars and granite blocks, if they have any money left that is.

Perhaps it is the same crowd that went to South Wheal Frances last time?

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?

agricola
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

I hope nothing has been dumped down the shaft, don't want the water getting polluted or having stuff hang up.

If it can't be grown it has to be mined.

ICLOK
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Interesting this... I did my NAMHO talk on Sunday and was clear that there were troubles ahead keeping our newly won Heritage in good order... and most people were in real agreement... sadly its gonna fall down to groups and individuals as the money is going to get ever thinner on the ground!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!

DaveC_24
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

When I went up there earlier this week, there were still caravans there. I didn't try and enter the site, so I don't know how they would react to someone wanting to have a look. It's a shame in that as mentioned earlier it's a little-known site and one place that I find is often good for a quiet place to sit with a decent view and not too far from home!

1944pam
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Just a point - the winder there was the famous steam traversing winder.
Long after the mine closed the shaft was used as a water supply for the chemical warfare establishment at Nancekuke (old Portreath airfield). The remains of the sub-station there was, I think, put in for this.

stuey
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#10

"Dolcoathguy" wrote:
Bumped into some people I know who regularly walk the Great Flat lode trial, apparently the caravans have been at William's shaft for several weeks now.
It might mean the council maybe forced to tidy up the site and do what they did at South Wheal Frances with low entry crossbars and granite blocks, if they have any money left that is.

Perhaps it is the same crowd that went to South Wheal Frances last time?

I gather Cornwall Council have got a fair few million of OUR MONEY stashed away for a rainy day.

However, I doubt it will prevent them from politically axing frontline services to demonstrate the right wing awfulness of awful tories.

Burn county hall IMO.

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

#11

Re Winder - Yes sorry the Winder (a Morgan's traversing drum) was steam powered (it was this that moved on the rails) and the pump was electric, Keep getting them confused. Well spotted!
:thumbup:

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?

Cyril Maurice
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#12

Is it still a no go area as I am visiting the Great Flat lode trail for a photo session in November.

Roy Morton
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#13

This site was vandalised by some chav local who pulled down the gable end to use the stone to build a garage - alegedly.
It was a good while later that the council, with free money from someplace and no real interest in heritage, decided to do some renovations. A large steel frame was set up inside to consolidate and brace the remaining walls. All too late though and now it's a site for the travellers who will probably strip the steel for scrap.
Anyway, I thought it would be a good opportunity to re-post this shot of the winder from the Holmans 1900 catalogue.

🔗Dolcoath-Copper-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-013[linkphoto]Dolcoath-Copper-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-013[/linkphoto][/link]

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"

spitfire
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#14

The gable blew down in a hurricane Roy

spitfire

Roy Morton
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#15

Thanks for that Paul, but I think the stone still went to the same place :curse:

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"

carnkie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#16

"spitfire" wrote:
The gable blew down in a hurricane Roy

Not possible because hurricanes cannot occur in the UK.

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

14 years ago

#17

"carnkie" wrote:

"spitfire" wrote:
The gable blew down in a hurricane Roy

Not possible because hurricanes cannot occur in the UK.

Anyway, back to mines...

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Roy Morton
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#18

"carnkie" wrote:

"spitfire" wrote:
The gable blew down in a hurricane Roy

Not possible because hurricanes cannot occur in the UK.

Didn't Michael Fish say something similar? :angel:

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"

carnkie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#19

"Roy Morton" wrote:

"carnkie" wrote:

"spitfire" wrote:
The gable blew down in a hurricane Roy

Not possible because hurricanes cannot occur in the UK.

Didn't Michael Fish say something similar? :angel:[/quote

He did indeed but he is oft misquoted on this but 1987 was not a hurricane. I can't go into any more details as I've been warned off by Simon. 😮
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

#20

In the thunderstorm of last Saturday night, Carn Entral took a direct lightning strike. It threw trip switches over 500 yds away (well thats where I am)... I would expect any visitors to the site may be going soon with conditions like that...As well as a small river coming down the road and emptying into the site

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?