The mineralogical composition of Cornwall is extensive and varied. The extraction of metallic and non-metallic ores, over numerous centuries, has driven the technological advances up to the present day.
Between 1720 and 1910, possibly as many as 1000 engine houses may have been erected. These last surviving examples have been left as monuments to the ancient miners of Cornwall’s prosperous past. Remnants of outdated technology that fired the hearts and souls of those working in the numerous Cornish mines that are scattered across the length and breadth of the county.
The metalliferous ores include those of Tin, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Arsenic, Tungsten, Silver, Iron, Bismuth, Cobalt, Uranium and Gold – to name a few of the more common.
These photographs were taken as part of a six-year project to record the last of Cornwall’s remaining engine houses.
A CD of all the photographs taken for this project can be obtained from:
Alex Fraser
