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Wheal Coates mine, Cornwall. Calciner

Most people justifiably look at the beautiful view down to the Towanroath shaft engine house, probably one of the most photographed sites in Cornwall. However only a few metres away is the calciner building that was constructed as part of a failed attempt to re-work the mine between 1910-1913. In the late summer the area is a riot of colour when the heather and ling are in flower, transforming even a ruined industrial site into a place of beauty.

The tin ore contained a proportion of impurities, mainly arsenic and sulphur. The ore was heated in furnaces to drive off the impurities, which were allowed to escape to the atmosphere. By the second half of the 19th century calciners were used to roast the ore, the arsenic and sulphur being condensed to form a valuable by-product.