South Crofty Mine Surface 1: After several years of hard darkroom work I have finally printed through all of my old negatives. So this is the first new page of that series.
South Crofty Mine Surface 1.1 – Firstly a panorama image of the site. This shows the long conveyor belt from Cooks Shaft to the ore bins. The square white building on the right housed the South Winder. To the right of that were the Technical Services Department.
The images on this page were taken around the surface area of New Cooks Kitchen Shaft. Some were taken during mining operations and others just after closure in 1998.
South Crofty Mine Surface 1.2 – Sinking this shaft was commenced in the early 1900’s along with the shaft at Robinson’s. Initially used for ore haulage this became the principle access to the mine during the 1990’s.
Now very little remains, the renovated headframe still stands along with the winder house and a few other buildings. The site has been split by a new road, the mill and all its buildings were demolished in 2013.
This subsequently changed the profile of the local skyline forever.
South Crofty Mine Surface 1.3 – The headframe over New Cooks Kitchen Shaft which was 769m deep, installed during the1970’s. To the left of the image is the ore conveyor belt leading to the old mill. South Crofty Mine Surface 1.4 – On the right is the Mill, this closed during the mid 1980’s as a result of the crash in the Tin price.South Crofty Mine Surface 1.5 – A good image of the headframe, nicely framed by one of the massive ore bins .South Crofty Mine Surface 1.6 – In the foreground is one of the pillars supporting the conveyor belt from the shaft top. However, the headframe was made up of two sections each supporting it’s own winder. On the left the North Winder for ore haulage, on the right the South Winder used for man-riding.South Crofty Mine Surface 1.7 – Another image of the Cooks Shaft Headframe. After many years of neglect the structure was renovated in 2013 by Cornwall County Council.South Crofty Mine Surface 1.8 – Taken soon after closure the site is quiet, however the ropes are still attached to the skips in the shaft. By the time the mine closed the deepest level it served was 400 fathom, 2400 feet. The shaft was lined with pipes, some taking the water out the mine others taking the compressed air to the working levels.Cornish Mine Images 1.9 – Much of the waste rock from South Crofty was supplied to a small aggregate company below the main site. It is still there today. Cornish Mine Images 1.10 – Certainly a busy view of South Crofty showing all the mill conveyor belts, all this has now been demolished.
To see more images of South Crofty Mill click: Here.
Cornish Mine Images 1.11 – Sometime after closure, when compared with the previous image the mill had lost a considerable amount of metal sheeting.Cornish Mine Images 1.12 – This is the mine weighbridge. This site had a real magic to it, a photographers playground.Cornish Mine Images 1.13 – The wire ropes had been removed from the winders when this was taken. However, the place felt as if it would once again come alive at any moment.Cornish Mine Images 1.14 – The base of the New Cooks Kitchen Shaft headframe. Also in the backgound is the “Landers Hut”. Cornish Mine Images 1.15 – In the foreground is the shaft inspection cage. On the left is the Shaft Lander’s hut, to the right is the Miner’s Dry.Cornish Mine Images 1.16 – The top of New Cooks Kitchen Shaft showing the gates to the cages.Cornish Mine Images 1.17 – The area at the base of Cooks Shaft, after closure the site was deserted and quiet.
