Cape Cornwall Mine
The old mine chimney at the top of Cape Cornwall.
Copyright © Matthew Hammond and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The mine, situated on Cape Cornwall 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west St Just, opened in 1838 during the Cornish mining boom. It had a short life, closing just 11 years later in 1849.
St Just Consolidated Mines took over the ownership in 1864 and reopened the mine. An engine house with an elaborate chimney was built near the peak of the cape for the main winding shaft. The engine house was built near the foot of the hill and connected to the chimney stack by a long stone flue. In 1869 St Just Consolidated Mines abandoned the Cape Cornwall Mine, although it continued to operate independently until 1875.
In 1879 the mine was once more reopened, this time under the ownership of St Just United. The chimney was causing problems, and in 1880 the chimney was abandoned and replaced with a new chimney stack further downhill. The old chimney stack was considered a valuable navigational aid, and was not demolished.
The mine closed and was abandoned in 1883 and shortly afterwards the engine house was demolished.
Further reading:
- Arx, R. von (1991) “A Glimpse at Cape Cornwall Mine”, British Mining No.43, pp.43-46
- Joseph, P. (2006) Cape Cornwall Mine, British Mining No.79
