Geevor Tin Mine facts for kids
Victory shaft headgear
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| Location | |
|---|---|
 Geevor
Location in Cornwall
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| Location | Pendeen |
| County | Cornwall |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 50°09′09″N 005°40′33″W / 50.15250°N 5.67583°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Tin |
| History | |
| Opened | 1911 |
| Closed | 1990 |
| Owner | |
| Website | http://www.geevor.com/ |
| Type: | Cultural |
| Criteria: | ii, iii, iv |
| Designated: | 2006 (30th session) |
| Reference #: | 1512 |
| Region: | Europe and North America |
Geevor Tin Mine is a famous old tin mine in Cornwall, England. It's located between the villages of Pendeen and Trewellard. The mine was active from 1911 to 1990. During that time, it produced about 50,000 tons of "black tin" (which is actually a mineral called cassiterite).
Today, Geevor Tin Mine is a museum and a heritage center. It shows what life was like in a working tin mine. It's like a "living history" lesson! Since 2006, the mine has been part of a special place. This place is the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. It is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Contents
The Story of Geevor Mine
Tin and copper have been dug up in the Geevor area for a very long time. Mining started here in the late 1700s. Back then, it was a small mine called Wheal an Giver. This name means "a piece of ground where goats lived."
Early Mining Days
The area was first known as East Levant Mine until 1840. Then it became North Levant from 1851 to 1891. It closed down in 1891. In the 1880s, about 176 people worked at the mine. After North Levant closed, only a few miners worked there now and then.
A New Beginning
Around 1900, some miners from St Just in Penwith returned home. They had been working in South Africa. They came back because of the Second Boer War. These miners rented the land at Geevor. They looked for tin and found enough to start a new company. It was called Levant North (Wheal Geevor) in 1901.
In 1904, another company bought it. Then, in 1911, many mines were brought together. They formed a big company called Geevor Tin Mines Ltd. This happened when the price of tin was going up quickly.
Digging Deeper
Work on the Wethered shaft began in 1909. This shaft was named after Oliver Wethered, one of the mine's founders. By 1919, the mining was moving towards the sea. The Victory shaft was dug about 540 meters away. It was named to celebrate the end of World War I.
The mine stopped working for a short time in 1921. It also closed for a year in 1930. This was during a "tin crisis" when tin prices dropped. Many other Cornish mines closed forever then. In 1944, the Wethered shaft was no longer used. But the Victory shaft kept going.
Challenges and Growth
After World War II, Geevor and South Crofty mines faced problems. It was hard to get money and find skilled miners. So, both mines hired miners from Poland and Italy.
Things got better in the 1960s. New money, good management, and higher tin prices helped. About 270 people worked at Geevor then. Miners explored a lot underground. They even extended into the old undersea tunnels of the Levant mine. This was tricky because they had to plug a hole in the seabed first!
The End of an Era
By the 1970s, Geevor's mining area was huge. It covered about three square miles. It included other old mines like Boscaswell Downs and Pendeen Consols.
In 1985, the price of tin fell sharply. This was because the International Tin Council failed. The mine tried to keep going for a few years. But it finally closed in 1990. The pumps were turned off in May 1991. This allowed the tunnels to fill with water. There is still tin in the ground at Geevor. But it's too expensive to dig it out now.
Over the 20th century, Geevor dug over 85 kilometers (about 53 miles) of tunnels. It produced around 50,000 tons of tin. The mine made over £7 million in profit. Every day, over a million gallons of water were pumped out. A quarter of that was seawater!
What is Geevor's Geology Like?
The tin at Geevor was found in special rock formations. These are called "lodes." They are in a type of rock called granite. This granite is very old, from the Carboniferous period. It pushed into older rocks called "killas." Killas are changed sedimentary and volcanic rocks. You can see them near the cliffs around the mine.
The tin itself is found as a mineral called cassiterite. This mineral is about 65-70% tin. It's found in veins with other minerals like quartz and tourmaline. These veins mostly run from northwest to southeast. The cassiterite makes up only about 1% of the material in these veins.
Visiting Geevor Today
Thanks to local people and groups, Geevor Tin Mine is still open to everyone. It is now a museum and heritage center. It covers a large area of 67 acres. This makes it the biggest preserved tin mining site in Great Britain. It's a very important part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. UNESCO recognized it in 2006.
The site has had a big upgrade. Over £3.8 million was spent to make it even better for visitors.
Geevor's new Hard Rock museum tells the story of tin mining in Cornwall. It focuses on Geevor itself. You can learn what happened above ground and deep underground. You can also hear stories from the miners who worked there.
Visitors can walk through the old mine buildings. You can see the original machines they used. There's even a guided underground tour into Wheal Mexico. This is an 18th-century mine! The site also has a souvenir shop and a cafe. From the cafe, you can look out over the Atlantic Ocean. You can even try fun activities like panning for gold and gemstones!
See also
- List of topics related to Cornwall
- Mining in Cornwall and Devon
- Dartmoor tin-mining
- South Crofty
- Wheal Jane
Images for kids
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Geevor Tin Mine seen from the air
