Cornwall’s Tin Mines Cling to the Cliffs

A proud Cornishman, recently invited myself and Chieko to Cornwall. We stayed at Sennan, right next to Land’s End.

It was a blustery October week-end and splendidly wild. My immediate thought was a comparison with Wales and the Welsh. Humid air was rushing in from the Atlantic and across the narrow Peninsula causing all kinds of havoc. The weather moved from misty rain, to clear skies, followed by a sudden downpour all in the space of two hours. Then there were the bi-lingual signs and the fierce Cornish nationalism. Man-for-man more nationalistic than the Welsh.

But what nailed the short excursion, and left me with a deep yearning to learn more, were the tin-mines. I had no idea of their number nor their entrenched history, not just in Cornwall’s history but the heritage of the UK.

The engine house of Botallack tin mine has clung onto the rugged coastline since around 1795. Though the area has been mined since the probably since the 1500s. The tunnels from the mine stretch far under the ocean. The conditions for the miners must have been perilous. If you want to know a bit more watch an episode or two of Poldark, which featured the Botallack engine hosues.

Since 2006 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site – “Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.”