The Prince of Wales Shaft engine house stands proud on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor with distant views to Dartmoor.

Mining first commenced in 1836 under the name of Cornwall Great United Mines, but was unsuccessful. Reopened about 1844 as Phoenix Mine, West Phoenix Mine was included within the set in 1875, after which the mine was worked as Phoenix United.
In 1852 a rich copper lode was struck and for 10 years output approached that of South Caradon mine but then rapidly declined.

There were indications of tin at Phoenix and tin streaming had taken place on both Caradon Hill and adjacent to the Cheesewring Quarry nearby on the higher moorland. Furthermore Cassiterite (black tin) was being worked at the nearby Marke Valley Mine lower down the hillside. Gambling on there being tin reserves at depth a controlling share in the mine was bought by William West, a mining engineer who was at the time working for the company.
His gamble paid off and the workforce at the mine tripled within a year so that in 1877 a peak production of 34000 tons of tin ore was brought to the surface. Production thereafter declined but continued for another 20 years.
In 1907 the Prince of Wales shaft with its magnificent engine house was commenced. It was however a financial disaster, finally reaching a depth of 200 fathoms but with only 95 tons of black tin produced over seven years.


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Tags: Cornwall Uk Landscape photography Dartmoor Tin 2020 Deserted Copper Tin mine Landscape and travel Copper mine Cornish Mining World Heritage site Cornish Mining Heritage Cornwall Great United Mines James Seccombe Linkinhorne Liskeard & Caradon Railway Phoenix United mine Prince of Wales Shaft William West

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