Heartlands and the Wind.

This shot is taken from one of the Diaspora Botanical Gardens. Quoting the title of an Iron Maiden track- " When the Wild Wind Blows" seems an apt way to describe the day we went here, 5/5/2015 and yes it did blow a bit. The engine house seen here is Robinson's Shaft and it held a 80" engine. This engine was designed by Captain Samuel Grose ( a pupil of Richard Trevithick) and built by Sandys Vivian and Co. at Copperhouse Foundry in Hayle ( the other famous engine builders in Hayle being Harvey's of Hayle ). The engine was set to work at Wheal Alfred in 1855 until 1864, it was then moved to Wheal Abraham working fron 1865 until 1875. After a period of not working it was moved again to Tregurtha Downs where it worked off and on from 1883 until 1902. Once again it was moved one last time to this present site and worked from 1903 until 1:15 pm on the 1st. of May 1955 when it finally came to rest and it was the last ever working steam driven beam engine to work a Cornish Mine. One must remember Pickfords was not around in those days and each move involved extraction from the granite building housing around it and the construction of a new one at it's new place of work- no mean feat in anybodies book!!! Check out further shots at Heartlands to see the engine in it's last home, the building is preserved but alas the cylinder head has a massive crack across it and with all of today's techno it is unlikely to be possible to mend or even replace the head and so will remain static. Has the wind died down yet?

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Heartlands

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South Crofty from Heartlands

A bit of a nostalgic look back of the last working tin mine of Cornwall. As a working mine South Crofty came to a close in March 1998, however, there have been attempts to reopen the mine with the rise in the price of tin but so far and with many hiccups the mine remains closed. Another issue is the UNESCO World Heritage for Cornish Mining, if the mine did reopen- would this affect the status of the World Heritage bestowed on the area?

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Heartlands

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Winder Driver's Operation Centre

From here the chap in charge of the winder would operate the cables raising or lowering miners to and from the depths of the mine.

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Heartlands

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South Crofty today.

Taken from Heartlands, this is how South Crofty Mine looks today. This was Cornwall's last working tin mine until it closed in 1998. For quite a number of years work has been going on to reopen the mine now the price of tin has risen, there is supposed to be about one and a half billion pounds waiting to be won in various minerals. However, the company that has been trying to get the mine open again has hit financial problems so the future is still in question. There are two sets of views in the area, one faction who say Cornish mining is done and just redevelop the area, and the other who believe in the heritage of Cornwall and wish to see it carry on. The view here shows the old headgear of South Crofty encased in scaffolding and covered in plastic sheeting. This is a sad image after nearly 4,000 years of Cornish Tinners Toil.

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Heartlands, Pool

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The Red River Cafe.

After a good look round Heartlands, the Red River Cafe is the place to have an eat and drink. The tables and chairs share the cafe with yet more exhibits, this time equipment used in the carpenter's workshop which now houses the cafe.

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Heartlands

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It is a bit of a squeeze

Here is displayed a lift cage (a double decker) that was used until the closure of South Crofty mine in 1998. There would have been about 18 miners and their gear traveling too and from the depths of the mine.

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Heartlands

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The Beam

Now we are on the top floor and this is the beam, only half of the beam is seen here as the other half is outside where it would be connected to a pump rod (made of large section timber) and this would go down to the depths of the mines, 700 fathoms would not be unusual. The beam (known as "the Bob" in Cornwall) pivots on the end wall of the engine house and rises and falls up to about 12 feet (the stroke of the engine). This beam sometimes weighs up to 50 tons see-sawing on the bob-wall creates much stress on the structure of the building and the bob-wall is often 8 feet thick granite.

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Heartlands, Bygone Era

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Rock drill

In days gone by the Cornish miner would work in pares, that is three men drilling holes in granite by hand. One would hold a large drill bit, whilst the other two would alternately swing sledgehammers at the drill ( trust or what?). After each stroke at the drill the miner holding the bit would twist it a quarter turn. After a long and hard session the hole and subsequent holes would be packed with powder, a fuse (a quill filled with powder) is lit and a little more progress made, all very dangerous and hard work. Above we see a later drill driven by compressed air made by Holman's later to be known as Comp-Air.

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Heartlands, Bygone Era

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Robinson's Valve gear

This shot is on the lower floor of the engine house and it is by the side of the cylinder (in this case it is an 80" cylinder). The valve gear is where the chap in charge of the engine would stand to get the engine started, in a process of opening valves to set the engine working he would set timings and settings to things going. Once the engine is in motion he can leave his position here as the valve gear will self perpetuate the cycles by a series of levers attached to the moving parts, that automatically open and close valves to maintain the stroke of the engine. The valve gear here does not work at present, but is kept fully covered in grease until such time that restoration may one day take place.

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Heartlands, Bygone Era

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Hard Rock, a Cornishman's Legacy

This rock monument is in one of the many gardens at Heartlands. Each garden represents a destination where the Cornish miners emigrated to when work at home stopped as the Cornish mining collapsed in the late 1860s.

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Heartlands

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Cylinder Head Floor

We have now moved to the central floor of the engine house and can see the top of the cylinder and the piston rod going up to the parallel-motion and the end of the beam. Unfortunately if you look you will see a very big crack in the cylinder head. On the other side of the head it continues across and an attempt to weld it here has taken place, but I fear this is not going to be any good. As for a replacement this too is going to be an issue, there are no surviving plans and to build a new one from scratch is going to be very difficult and expensive.

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Heartlands, Bygone Era

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The way I like them

Seen on the wall of the Red River Cafe, it's what it says on the board.

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Heartlands, Village Signs and Sign Posts

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Doorway

The way into the engine house is up a flight of steps to the first floor level. When you enter the engine house the centre of this level is taken up by the main cylinder and the controls for the engine (picture will follow). Go up a level and this is the cylinder head floor, head up one final set of stairs to the "bob" floor. The "bob" is the name the Cornish give to the beam (cos it bobs up and down) half of the beam is inside connected to the piston rod and parallel motion linkage and while the centre of the beam pivots on the "bob" wall of the engine house. The other half of the beam is outside connected to the pump rods or the winder depending on what type of engine it is.

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Heartlands

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Headgear - Robinson's Shaft

Seen here is the headgear at the Robinson's Shaft. In the tin and copper mining heyday these structures would have been constructed in timber.

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Heartlands

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A View From Cousin Jack's Garden

The Engine House is seen from one of the gardens of the Cornish diaspora. Many Cornish miners left for other corners of the world with the collapse of the tin and copper mining at home in Cornwall, those that left were know as Cousin Jack and if the family went as well the wives would be known as Cousin Jenny. Cornish Miners have a world wide reputation in the field of " hard rock mining" and it is said wherever in the world there is a large hole in the ground tis sure at bottom there be a Cornish Miner digging away.

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Heartlands, Buildings and Structures, Pool, Cornwall

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Robinson's Shaft Engine House

The centre piece of Heartlands, this is the last working steam driven beam engine of the Cornish Mining Industry, stopped working 1st May 1955.

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Heartlands

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Heartlands - is now open !

Heartlands has been created to preserve a part of Cornwall's Mining Heritage (now a World Heritage Site). The engine house at the centre of the site has been mothballed since the 1950s when it ceased pumping ( the last steam driven beam engine to work in Cornwall- stopped pumping 1st May 1955 ). Since then the engine house stood in a patch of wasteland and was locked away although in the care of the National Trust. The whole site has now revamped and opened up as a local amenity with free access every day except xmas day, even a tour of the engine house is free although it has to be booked as there only two tours a day and no more than twelve people at a time ( space and safety issuses ). I had a one to one tour as we went on a quiet day. The site now has an exhibition and museum with a 270 degree projection film and slide show. There are gardens representing the places in the world that the Cornish miners emigrated to in the 1860/70s and later when Cornish mining at home collapsed. The usual play area for the kids is also there but again themed to the site . There are lecture areas , a local crafts section , the usual shop and a superb cafe. The site has been called " Heartlands " because it is in the heart of the biggest mining area of Cornwall, this however did raise a few eyebrows as there was a hope that with the rise again of the Cornish language it could have had a name in Cornish or at least a name of a local area but "Heartlands " it is and whatever it is called it is worth a visit if you are ever that way. Google "heartlandscornwall" to have a peek at there website. My pic is what it says on the granite, I took it with POE in mind.

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Heartlands

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A Window In Time

Taken through the window of the preserved engine house of the Robinson Shaft of South Crofty tin mine. The engine house through the window is East Pool Whim on Michelle's shaft.

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Heartlands

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