Parkandillick Engine House

Parkandillick Engine House: I was very fortunate to have a tour with Tracy during 2016. It is a wonderful place oozing with atmosphere we had a great time. My thanks to Matt Cheeseman for taking the time out to show us around.

Parkandillick Engine House
An image of Parkandillick Engine House taken in the 1930’s.
Image used here by permission: Mac Waters as featured on www.cornishmemory.com

The historical information here and on the following pages has been used with the permission of The Trevithick Society.

The Parkandillick Cornish Engine is a typical medium-sized Cornish beam engine. It worked here until 1953, pumping slurry from the china clay pit up to the mica drags or settling tanks. These were near the road above the engine. Like other Cornish Engines in ‘the Clay’ it initially worked at a tin mine before being moved to Parkandillick during 1912.

The engine was built during 1852 by Sandys, Vivian of Copperhouse Foundry, Hayle, for Wheal Kitty mine at St. Agnes where it stood on Old Sump Shaft. It has a 50” diameter cylinder and a beam of unequal length giving strokes of 10’ for the piston and 9’ for the pump. This latter was a 17” diameter plunger situated 240’down the shaft in front of the engine, at the end of the wooden pump rod. Slurry from the pit gravitated to the pump via an inclined tunnel.
Parkandillick Engine House
Parkandillick Engine House 1 – The first view I had of the preserved building.
Parkandillick Engine House
Parkandillick Engine House 2 – Another closer view of the engine house, the stack was reduced in height soon after the engine was retired. The house is on private property and should not be approached.
Cornish Mine Images
Parkandillick Engine House 3 – A view of view of the engine house from the other side. The attached building closer to the camera contains a twin drum pit winder. This was used to haul waste from the pit.
Cornish Mine Images
Cornish Mine Images 4 – A wider view of the engine house. In the foreground are tanks used in the treatment process. Also the house still retains its pump rod also the bob platform.
Cornish Mine Images
Cornish Mine Images 5 – A final image of the outside of the house.

Parkandillick Engine House Gallery 1

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