Poldark Mine facts for kids
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Formerly
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Wendron Forge, Ha'penny Park |
|---|---|
| Industry | tourism |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | Peter Young |
Poldark Mine is a popular tourist attraction in Cornwall, England. It is close to the town of Helston. This special place is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, which is a World Heritage Site.
At Poldark Mine, you can explore old tin mine tunnels on a guided tour. There's also a museum. It shows off old mining tools and tells stories about Cornish history. You can also see an ancient monument and pretty gardens by the river.
The mine first opened in 1972 as Wendron Forge. Later, it was called Ha'penny Park. When an old tin mine was found there, it got its current name. This name comes from Winston Graham's Poldark books and the BBC TV show that started in 1975.
A mining historian named A. K. Hamilton Jenkin studied the mine. He believed it was an old mine called Wheal Roots. This mine was active in the 1700s. The original owner, Peter Young, sold Poldark Mine in 1988. After some changes in ownership, it faced difficulties. In 2014, David Edwards bought it. He wanted to keep it as an outdoor museum. However, in September 2022, the mine closed.
Contents
Discovering Poldark Mine's Past
How the Tourist Spot Began
The Poldark Mine museum started in 1966. A man named Peter Young, who was a Royal Marine, bought a local smithy. It was called Wendron Forge. He bought it at an auction while on leave. Soon, he bought more land next to it.
Peter Young spent years buying and fixing old farm and factory machines. He wanted to sell etchings he made there. The place opened to visitors in June 1971. It was called Wendron Forge. They raised the ground to stop floods. They also built new facilities. About six working machines and engines were set up for visitors to see.
In 1972, a large 30-inch beam engine was brought to the site. This engine came from a village called Greensplat. It used to pump water from a china clay pit. This engine was the last one to work in Cornwall. It stopped working in 1959. Volunteers worked for eight months to set it up at Poldark Mine. By spring 1973, the engine was working using compressed air.
In the 1980s, the attraction changed its name. It became known as "Ha'penny Park."
After Peter Young's Time
Peter and Jose Young retired and moved to Spain. They sold Poldark Mine to John McLeod. He ran it until 1999. In 2000, a company bought the property. It was set up by Richard Williams. He worked hard to make it a great underground mine experience.
During this time, the mine offered "Ghost Tours" in the evenings. It was also a place where people could hold weddings. It even partnered with the Llywernog Silver-Lead Mine in Wales.
After Richard Williams passed away in 2012, fewer people visited the mine. It faced financial problems in 2014. The property was put up for sale. David Edwards bought it. He had experience with old railways and slate mines in Wales. Work began right away to fix and restore the mine. It reopened in May 2014.
The History of Tin Mining Nearby
The Poldark Mine area is in the valley of the River Cober. This valley was once very rich in tin ore. Over a long time, rocks above the ore wore away. This left rich tin deposits in the river's gravel and sand.
We know people mined here long ago. The Trenear Mortar Stone is near the mine's entrance. It's a granite rock with 17 hollows. People would crush tin ore by hand in these hollows. This stone is very old, possibly from 2000 BC to 43 AD. It's the only one of its kind in southwest England. It became a protected monument in 2009.
The first machine for crushing tin ore in Cornwall was recorded in 1493. It was at Trenere Wolas, now called Lower Trenear. By 1650, this area had more industrial buildings. These included mills for crushing and stamping tin.
The mine tunnels found in the 1970s were part of an old mine called Wheal Roots. It was likely worked between 1720 and 1780. By 1856, it was part of the larger Wendron Consols mine. Maps from that time called it "old men's workings." This means it was already considered a very old mine.
Miners used horses and water wheels to power machines. They also used them to pump water out of the mine. In the museum, you can see parts of an old "rag and chain" pump. This pump was found when the mine was rediscovered. It used wooden pipes and a long chain with rags tied to it. As the chain moved, it lifted water out of the mine.
At Horse Whim Shaft in the mine, the granite walls are smooth. This is from buckets rubbing against them. This shaft is over 200 feet deep. Its deepest parts are still unexplored. The museum has a large iron bucket from the 1700s. It was used when the mine was actively producing tin.
In the 1800s, the site was used for processing tin ore. This is where the ore was crushed and cleaned. When tin prices dropped in the late 1800s, many mines closed. However, a record from 1893 shows that some tin mining was still happening at Trenear.
Poldark Mine in Movies and TV
Winston Graham, the author of the Poldark books, allowed the mine to use his title. He even launched some of his books at Poldark Mine. This included his last Poldark book in 2002.
Actress Angharad Rees played Demelza in the 1970s BBC TV show Poldark. She visited the mine and gardens often. There is a memorial to her at Poldark Mine. Her son dedicated it.
The BBC used the mine for filming scenes in their 1977 Poldark series. This included some of the underground parts.
In the 1977 TV movie The Man in the Iron Mask, the main character's mask was made at Wendron Forge. Another BBC series, Penmarrick, was filmed at the mine in 1979.
The most recent filming was in 2014. It was for the new BBC series of Poldark, which aired in 2015.
Poldark Mine Today
Poldark Mine and its museum are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site is called the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
As of 2015, Poldark was the only complete tin mine in the UK open for tours. You could explore a real 18th-century mine underground. It was also the only mine in Cornwall that pumped water out. This allowed visitors to go inside.
More to Explore
Sources
- The Making of Wendron Forge: an illustrated booklet published by Peter Young 1972, 1973, 1974 et seq
- Poldark Mining Limited: illustrated guidebook published in several editions
- Poldark People: an illustrated A4 guidebook published by John McLeod
