Poldark Mine

The site lies in the valley of the River Cober on the Carnmenellis granite outcrop. The river valley was once extremely rich in tin ore because of the extensive erosion over geological time of a great depth of overlying sedimentary rocks which contained many ore-bearing lodes. Pebbles and grains of the heavy ore collected in the river gravels and sands, eventually leading to the rich tin-bearing grounds that were found near the surface of most of the river valleys flowing from the granite.[16][17]

Evidence that this abundance of ore was first recovered and processed in ancient times is shown by the Trenear Mortar Stone, near to the entrance of Poldark Mine. It is an outcrop of granite which has at least 17 hollows in its upper face in which tin ore would have been crushed by hand, using stones. Although impossible to date precisely it is believed to have been in use during the later prehistoric period (c.2000BC to 43 AD). It is the only known example of such a mortar in south-west England and was designated as a scheduled monument in 2009.[18][19]

The first mechanised tin stamping mill in Duchy land, and possibly in the whole of Cornwall, is recorded at Trenere Wolas (present-day Lower Trenear) in a document confirming that it was held by John Trenere, a freeman, in 1493.[20] By 1650 the industrial buildings recorded at Trenere Wolas had expanded to a crazing-mill, two stamping-mills and a blowing house.[21]

The mine workings discovered in the 1970s were attributed by A. K. Hamilton Jenkin to an old tin mine known as Wheal Roots,[22] which had probably been worked between about 1720 and 1780.[23] By 1856 it had become part of the Wendron Consols mine and is shown on the surface plan of that mine as 'old men's workings' meaning that it was at that date considered a very old mine.[24]

The mine was worked using horses and water wheels to power all the machinery and to pump water from it. In the museum there are the remains of an early 'rag and chain' pump used before the days of steam to raise water from mines and which was found when the mine was rediscovered in the 1970s. The pump consisted of a series of wooden pipes made from tree trunks and through which a large endless chain was pulled. The chain had rags tied to it at intervals which when pulled up through the pipes lifted the water out of the mine.[10]

In the mine at Horse Whim Shaft the granite on the side of the shaft has been worn smooth by the rubbing of the kibble against it, this shaft is over 200 feet deep and its further depths remain unexplored. In the Museum a large cast and wrought iron kibble recovered from the main shaft can be seen, it dates from the 18th century when the mine was active in tin production.

During the 19th century the site was occupied by the main dressing floors of Wendron Consols mine.[25] This was where the tin ore was crushed and purified. When tin prices fell in the late 19th century many mines closed, although there is a record of 1893 indicating that a stream-work was still active at Trenear at that date.[26]

The author of the Poldark books Winston Graham gave permission to use the title as the name of the mine. He launched some of his books at Poldark Mine, including the last Poldark book in 2002, a year before his death.

Actress Angharad Rees, who had the leading role of Demelza in the 1970s BBC TV costume drama Poldark was a regular visitor to the mine and gardens up to the time of her death in 2012. There is a memorial to her at Poldark Mine which was dedicated by her son.

The BBC approached Peter Young to use the mine as location for a number of scenes for their 1977 series of Poldark. This included some of the underground sequences.

In the 1977 television film The Man in the Iron Mask, the title character had his mask made and fitted at Wendron Forge,[27] most other locations being in France. Another, shorter, BBC series Penmarrick was filmed at the mine in 1979.

The most recent filming on the site was in summer 2014,[3] for the new BBC series of Poldark broadcast in 2015.

The mine and its museum are part of the UNESCO Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a World Heritage Site.[10]

As of 2015, Poldark was the only complete tin mine in the UK open to the public for genuine underground tours of an 18th-century mine, and the only mine in Cornwall that pumps water to allow public access (at a rate of 30 to 40,000 gallons a day).[28]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poldark Mine, Cornwall.

• Mining in Cornwall and Devon
• Wendron
• History of Cornwall

• Brooke, Justin (1994). The Tin Streams of Wendron. Truro: Twelveheads Press. ISBN 0906294320.
• Fyfield-Shayler, B. A. (1979). The Making of Wendron. Tavistock: Graphmitre Ltd.

• The Making of Wendron Forge: an illustrated booklet published by Peter Young 1972, 1973, 1974 et seq
• Poldark Mining Limited: illustrated guidebook published in several editions
• Poldark People: an illustrated A4 guidebook published by John McLeod