SX2159 : Herodsfoot Mine

near to Churchbridge, Cornwall, Great Britain

Herodsfoot Mine
Herodsfoot Mine
"In the 1840s, the little village of Herodsfoot became a boom town. There had been mining here for centuries but then engine houses and new shafts appeared on either side of the valley producing tons of lead and also some silver, copper and tungsten, all needed by the new factories in the Midlands ... Early in the 19th century, Herodsfoot Mine was about 300ft deep, but its main active period was from 1847 to 1884. At first waterwheels were employed for pumping and hoisting but a 40-inch beam pumping engine was soon needed, and in 1864 that was replaced by a more powerful 60-inch. Six years later, the deepest levels were almost a thousand feet below the surface, and the workforce numbered 150". (LinkExternal link ). It seems that a wide variety of other minerals were also found here. Herodsfoot is associated with the name of Richard Talling, "beyond question the greatest Cornish mineral dealer of all time ... Talling's most famous achievement was the acquisition of the best of the magnificent bournonite and chalcopyrite-coated tetrahedrite specimens raised in the Herodsfoot mine, Cornwall in the 1850's and 60's. As always he sold the finest specimens to the British Museum." LinkExternal link

"Today the mill leats and crumbling buildings, engine houses and two chimney stacks remain, half-hidden in the woods" (LinkExternal link ). The chimney illustrated is no more than 5 metres south of the northing gridline. Behind is the West Looe valley.
Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Derek Harper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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SX2159, 3 images   (find more images nearby)
Photographer
Derek Harper   (find more nearby)
Image classification
Geograph
Date Taken
Thursday, 17 July, 2008
Submitted
Tuesday, 22 July, 2008
Category
Mine (disused)   (find more nearby)
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SX 2119 5999 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:24.7499N 4:31.0824W
Photographer Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SX 2113 5999
View Direction
EAST (about 90 degrees)
Clickable map
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