Littlejohns China Clay Pit, this is the first page containing images of this huge working excavation in the St Austell Area of Cornwall. These images were taken in May 2012 during a tour arranged by the pit’s owner and operator, Imerys.
Mining here first began in during the 1830’s when 8 smaller pits were operating. As the operations grew these pits gradually merged together to form one large complex known as the Karslake Pits.
The modern day China Clay Pit is mindbogglingly huge, it covers over 500 acres with a circumference of around 15 miles. Also some places within the pit are over 130m deep, which is nearly three Nelson Columns.
My thanks go to those who gave up their time to arrange the visit and show me around.
In another part of the pit there was a bank of small pumping houses. These were something I had never seen before. Without them the pit would have filled with water rapidly.