Thanks, good spot! Re-reading that again it sounds like a group of octogenarians were up there digging around – all changed.

It’s surprising how a later landmark can sideline an earlier one. Despite the fact “Stowe’s Cottages” are southeast of Cheesewring, Stowe’s Hill/Stowe’s Pound are north of Cheesewring, but once the quarry lopped out a great chunk of the south slope of the hill it rather split it in two. So Stowe Mine, taking the name of the hill, underline’s it as one of the earliest workings, later ‘Stowe’s Section’ of Phoenix United.
The shafts serving the West Section of Phoenix Utd workings (the main part of the mine being the east!), going west in order are Hamilton’s shaft above the road, Stowe’s and an adjacent shaft (possibly Red Burrow) (both now run-in at surface inside the fenced-off area), then New Engine shaft (possibly doubling as Anna’s), then Polkinghorne’s (though there’s an open air-shaft between Anna’s and Polkinghorne’s, which drops into the workings eventually becoming some very impressive stopes possibly 95m below surface). The last, Polkinghorne’s, is close to Withybrook Sett, which in turn borders West Phoenix sett, both the latter eventually being absorbed.

But would you mind much if I made a very very gentle comment: Where you say “…were worked by old men…”, they are traditionally referred to as “….THE old men…” to differentiate from any old man. We refer to “old men’s workings” but the people who worked them decades, or centuries, (or even millenia!) before are “THE old men”. A minor point, but traditional expressions can be lost over time – hope you won’t be offended.