Just off the B3297 road running towards Helston sits the engine house belonging to Wheal Ann.
This is a very old and relatively unprosperous part of a larger concern, Wheal Trumpet, of which its only other engine house resides just across the field.
The mine was at work by 1793 when an engine was erected on the site, but it’s unlikely this was the same one that was in place until 1877. The engine house is unique in that its bob wall was significantly slimmer than the average house. This is due to the 48” watt type engine having a wooden bob instead of a standard iron one. The boiler house would likely have been on the eastern side.
Just behind the house are the scant remains of the separate chimney; this was partially destroyed by a lightening strike in the 1980’s.
Wheal Ann reached a depth of 140 fathoms (260m) before it closed and many of its levels would have been joined with Wheal Trumpet, some of which were dammed up during periods of flooding and unwatering. In 1848, the engine was put up for sale and moved to nearby Wheal Valls two years later. This remained in situ until its dismantling in 1889.
The engine house sits on private land, but can be viewed from the laneway.
There is a very small amount of parking along the road beside the school in Wendron, a short walk away.
Acton, B. and Brown, K. (1999) Exploring Cornish Mines: Volume Four. Truro: Landfall Publications.
Dines, H. G. (1956) The metalliferous mining regions of south-west England. British Geological Survey.
Nance, D. and Brown, K. (2014) A complete guide to the engine houses of West Cornwall. Gloucestershire: Lightmoor Press.