Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2, this is the second page of the reprinted images looking at the site in the 1990’s. I am hoping in the future to take some more images of the site as it is now. However these will be on a new page.
One of my biggest regrets is that I did not take more pictures when I had the chance.
Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.1- This image was taken standing under the headframe. The mill is in the background to the right are the shaft gates, at this time the shaft had a hatch over it. But soon afterwards it was securely welded up. The top of the fine ore bin is in the background.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.2- Looking directly towards the shaft gates. The shaft collar was constructed during November 1969, shaft sinking commenced a few weeks later.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.3- A wider view of the shaft head, the rails in the ground led to the engineering shops in the complex. Also the mill building is on the left of the image. Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.4- A view across the mine yard, on the left is the foundation for one of the headframe legs.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.5- The outside door to the geology department, core samples are scattered on the floor.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.6- A pair of doors with rails leading to them near to the headframe caught my eye. Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.7- A valve arrangement in a building near the headframe.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.8- The interior of the Geology Offices. This was full of samples diamond drill cores and loads of history, sadly all gone.
During the mid to early 2000’s the headframe was sadly demolished. It had been classed as dangerous. However it is always sad when a headframe goes as there are so few left in Cornwall these days.
Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.9- This is an ore skip at the base of the Mount Wellington headframe, the remains of a hydraulic ram which fed it is in the background. The ore silos are overhead, this and many other skips would have fed the ore into the processing plant. The ore would have been initially crushed underground to make handling easier before being brought to the surface.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.10- A water reservoir or settling tank outside the processing mill.Mount Wellington Mine Gallery 2.11- A wider view of the mill and settling tank. The mill feed conveyor from the shaft silo is on the left of the image. It would have fed the ore into the Ball Mills where it was crushed again.Cornish Mine Images 2.12- A second image of the mill from a slightly different angle.Cornish Mine Images 2.13- This conveyor was the main feed into the processing shed.Cornish Mine Images 2.14- Another image of the conveyor feed.Cornish Mine Images 2.15- Pipes and debris down the side of the mill building. The silo behind would have held chemicals for use during processing.Cornish Mine Images 2.16- The steps leading to Mount Wellington Mine Admin offices.Cornish Mine Images 2.17- Another of the same steps from a different angle.
The next few images are of the mine’s giant mill buildings. This was dark and extremely dangerous to enter. So, needless to say I just stood in the entrances and took a few photographs in relative safety.
Cornish Mine Images 2.18- Looking into the derelict mill, I believe this was the flotation area. The scrap men had certainly been at this. All the wire had been stripped out for the Copper value. Cornish Mine Images 2.19- The interior of the mine mill, it was derelict with a lot of panels just waiting to fall. This is the area where the ball mills were situated.Cornish Mine Images 2.20- A second image of the mill, this really shows the height of the building. Unwanted equipment and piping were spread over the floor.Cornish Mine Images 2.21- To the west of the Mount Wellington Complex is the tailings dam for the processing plant. This is where all the waste product from the mill was held. As processing techniques improved the idea was that the waste could be easily reprocessed if it was stored nearby.
Cornish Mine Images 2.22- Finally another view of the headframe. The sheave wheels on top have been preserved and are now mounted at the entrance to the complex.
So many places like Mount Wellington have ceased to exist, very few remains are still on the site today. Pendarves Mine there is nothing left, the whole area flattened and the shafts filled with an equestian centre where the buildings were.
Wheal Jane Mine across the valley from Wellington, the shafts remain which are pumped in order to process the mine water before it enters the River Fal. But almost everything else has disappeared.
South Crofty Mine, the mill and many of the buildings have been demolished all that stands is the headframe, but there maybe the chance of mining here again. Although these were the mines of the eighties the recent history has gone, so very sad that so much has been lost so quickly.
I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most people think these remains are an eyesore and should be demolished. Me……….well I think they are beautiful.
