Belowda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belowda
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| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 530: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Cornwall (mainland)" does not exist. | |
| OS grid reference | SW9661 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
Belowda (which is Boslowsa in the Cornish language) is a small village in Cornwall, England, in the UK. You can find it just north of the main A30 highway. It's about seven miles west-southwest of a town called Bodmin. The village also gives its name to a nearby hill, Belowda Beacon. Belowda is part of the civil parish of Roche.
Contents
Exploring Belowda's Mining Past
For many years, people mined for minerals around Belowda. There were two main areas where minerals were found, called Wheal Dora Lode and Webbs Lode. A "lode" is like a vein of valuable minerals found in rocks. These two lodes met at the very top of Belowda Beacon, which is about 744 feet high.
Miners dug up the minerals from the surface in open pits. They also dug deeper underground using shafts. One shaft was about 500 yards northeast of Belowda village. Another was 140 yards south-southwest of that one. The main shaft for Webb's Lode was about 550 yards north-northwest of Lane End farm. Even though mining stopped around 1902, we don't have any maps of the underground tunnels.
Belowda Beacon: A Special Place
Belowda Beacon is not just a hill; it's a very special natural area. In 1996, it was named a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's protected because of its unique features.
Why is Belowda Beacon Special?
Belowda Beacon is famous for its amazing minerals. These minerals formed in a special way from the granite rock deep underground. One old tunnel, called an "adit," used to show a rock made of topaz, tourmaline, and quartz. An adit is a horizontal tunnel dug into a hillside, often to get to a mine.
Even though the tunnel has collapsed, you can still see pieces of this special rock. You might find large chunks of topaz and quartz, sometimes with tiny, beautiful tourmaline crystals. Topaz can make up to 80% of the rock here! Sometimes, you can even find small, yellowish topaz crystals in tiny holes in the rock. Some of these crystals have been as big as 1 centimeter, which is the largest ever found in England! This makes Belowda Beacon very interesting for people who study minerals.
Protecting Nature: Tregonetha & Belowda Downs
The areas around Belowda Beacon and a place called Tregonetha are also very important for nature. Together, they form the Tregonetha & Belowda Downs SSSI. This area is protected because it has a rich variety of plants and animals, which is called biodiversity. It's a great place for wildlife to live and thrive.
