Recording a “forgotten” mine in Cornwall: challenges & opportunities

Conference: Landscape Survey Group Conference 2017: Productive Landscapes

Dates: 15-16 September 2017

Abstract:

The County of Cornwall is synonymous with tin production from prehistoric times through to the late 20th Century, so much so that in 2006 ten distinct areas were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS). These sites were considered to have outstanding universal value in the form of the mine workings themselves, their allied industries (such as foundries & tin smelters) and the mining communities’ social infrastructure (such as cottages and non-conformist chapels). This productive landscape is typically characterised, especially in popular culture, by the iconic Cornish engine house, stamping mills and waste tips. But can studying smaller, more ephemeral mines, particularly those outside of the WHS areas, add further detail to our understanding of the day to day activities of the itinerant miner and the processes involved in “winning ground”? This paper explores the archaeological signature of the Princess Royal mine, located in a wooded, rural valley on Cornwall’s north coast. Using field observation, survey and documentary research, the position of a new, undiscovered shaft, together with a series of adits and ore processing areas has been identified and suggests that the mines’ extent can be seen over a much greater area than previously thought. This initial research highlights that, despite the wealth of documentary evidence relating to specific mine buildings and shafts, there is still much information to be gleaned from the archaeological record that can inform us of the process of Tin mining in Cornwall.

Source: Manual