basset Archives - Explore Cornwall

West Wheal Basset Mine

Caitlin — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 22:36:44 +0000

On the road between Pool and Four Lanes stands a relic of West Wheal Basset Mine. It’s stamping complex sits down the road in Carnkie. Previously known as Wheal Charmer and Wheal Haste, mining in the area dates back to medieval times. The site was initially used for farming, but a 1700’s map does show a leat from Wheal Jowel adit all the way around to Wheal Druid in Pool, with the water used to power a water engine and later a pressure engine. A lease was granted for the area in 1835 by Lady Basset under the name Wheal Haste and a 36″ engine erected.

West Basset as we know it opened in 1846 and was a successful copper mine up until the discovery of the Great Flat Lode in 1869. Unfortunately the mine failed to fully transition over to tin production, predominantly due to poor management and lack of stamping facilities.

Thomas’ 60″ pumping engine house was built in 1854 and named after the companies chairman. In 1896 is suffered a fire which bent the piston rod and the bob was then moved to Pascoe’s 80″ pumping engine across the road. This house was unique as its chimney was inside the house walls. The engine did some winding along with its pumping duties.

In 1896, West Basset amalgamated with its neighbour South Wheal Frances and became part of Basset Mines Ltd. Underground mining ceased following this and the engine was only used to supply water to its separate stamps and dressing floor. The engine stopped working completely in 1899 and the site appears abandoned on the 1907 map, with the rest of the mine closing in 1917.

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While only the engine house remains, the mine previously had a substantial number of other buildings. In front of the house, to the east was a balance bob housing while to the west was a capstan. On the western side of the engine sat its very large boiler house which held two boilers, with another building on the eastern side, potentially a miners dry. Two tramways ran alongside the north and south of the site – one of these went to Old Skip shaft while the other went to the stamps in Carnkie. Maps show that on the northern side of the house used to lie a complex arsenic works including calciners, flues, labyrinth and a chimney while on the southern side of the road used to sit a winding engine house.

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Basset and Grylls

Caitlin — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:44:14 +0000

Situated on Porkellis Moor lie some of the more modern remains of Basset and Grylls mine. Originally named Porkellis United, it also included the workings of Wheal Cock. Basset and Gryll’s potential was first noticed in 1845 by a Mr Jenkin and co, but as they didn’t own the mineral rights they were soon ousted.

The area had already been heavily worked by ‘old men’ and the ground was notoriously soft, requiring clever timbering. Some of the more shallow levels had patches of tin left over from previous workings, but miners were forbidden from trying to extract. Of course over time these warnings were ignored and eventually the roof of the levels became too weak to hold up a slime pit just above. In August 1858 the ground gave way leaving a 54x36m hole, 9m deep. Six men and one boy died, with several of the surface workers only narrowly escaping.

Following the incident, the pumping engine was moved to where it stands today further up the road towards Porkellis, with attentions turned towards the lodes in that area. This was primarily the Tymorgie lodes, which unfortunately weren’t as profitable as originally thought. In 1859, all of the engines were put up for sale.

By 1864 the mine appeared to have the same engines working on the site: a 60″ pumping engine, a 24″ whim and a 32″ double acting pump and stamps driving 80 heads, as well as a waterwheel driving 20 more. Since the main pumping engine was now in a different area of the sett, the stamps engine was equipped with flat rods.

In 1872 a new 60″ pumping engine was ordered from Harvey & Co, with the Porkellis Moor section of the mine being abandoned at the same time. Focus was turned to the Wheal Cock and Old Men’s section of the sett, with the moor area only used for dressing. At some point the mine was abandoned again.

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In 1907, the mine was reopened under the name Basset and Grylls and was worked by various different companies up until 1926. Between 1826-29 it was named Jantar before being renamed Porkellis Tin Mines in 1933. The mine was again abandoned for good just before the Second World War.

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A Snowy Walk From Wheal Uny to Carnkie

Caitlin — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 20:36:43 +0000

Umm, so it snowed… For those who don’t live in Cornwall, this NEVER happens. At least anything more than slush.
This year, on the 6th of January 2018, Cornwall got a proper real dusting of white stuff.

I took this fleeting opportunity to mooch around Wheal Uny, as its higher elevation and slightly out-of-the-way location guaranteed a good view. I wasn’t disappointed.

Starting on the Redruth side of Wheal Uny, I headed up the lanes towards the centre of the mine. Both engine houses of Hind’s shaft looked stunning with the snow all around.

Heading out the other side of the engine houses towards Carn Brea, I joined a broad footpath and headed left up towards Carnkie.

At the top of the path, turn right on the road and just down the hill is the old gateway to Seleggan Smelting Works; just be careful on this road and cars drive very fast.

The footpath leads through the old smelting works and bring you out at the bottom of Wheal Basset where you can visit all that remains of this once great mine. The stamps engine house, calciner and vanner house are a prominent feature on the hillside and great to see in the snow.

From here I headed back to Redruth, but South Wheal Frances and the West Basset stamps complex are only a short walk on if you want to see more of this heritage rich area.

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