Hazy Ruins West Wheal Basset Mine Stamps Cornwall

by Richard Brookes

Title

Hazy Ruins West Wheal Basset Mine Stamps Cornwall

Artist

Richard Brookes

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Photograph

Description

Hazy winter light at the impressive and poignant ruins of the long abandoned West Wheal Basset Stamps tin ore processing site with its associated dressing floors.

According to various web sources:

This operation was part of the North Basset tin mine sett. Shot taken near the stamps engine house (building to left in background) looking at the ruined Vanner (ore shaking) house. The Vanner house was a later addition which housed Frue Vanner shaking tables to sort the ore with adjacent concave and convex buddles to refine it further.
It has been described as one of the finest surviving C19th tin dressing floors in the world.
There are also two Brunton calciners (for roasting ore to remove impurities) and several other ruins on the site.

C18th Wheal Charmer noted as operating in the area.
1835 Mining operations commence as Wheal Haste following the grant of a lease by Lady Basset.
1846 Wheal Haste surrendered the sett.
1850s West Wheal Basset becomes a major copper producer.
1864 Four shafts noted, namely Percy's, Thomas, New and Grenville East.
1867 Spargo noted mine employed mine employed 300 men, 90 females and 30 boys
1869 Discovery of the rich Great Flat Lode is attributed to miners on the West Wheal Basset sett
1875 Engine house and ore crushing stamps constructed (by the Tuckingmill Foundry) and settling and buddling floor opened
1880s Tin production overtakes copper. Flooding affects mine when part of old the old Wheal Basset sett is shut down.
1888 The largest pumping engine ever built (80") by St Austell foundry installed at Pascoe's shaft on the nearby South Wheal Frances sett to alleviate the flooding issues.
1892 6 February: South Frances United Mines reorganised to include South Wheal Frances and West Wheal Basset, which had been running at a loss for several years Additional buddles and Cornish frames added.
1896 Mine amalgamated with six other nearby mining setts to form Basset Mines.
1906 installation of Frue vanners
1918 December Basset Mines shuts down due to a slump in the price of tin after the end of World War I

Two tramways also served the mine, one from West Wheal Basset and South Wheal Frances, and another climbing the hill from Lyle’s shaft.

A fascinating and unique site on the Great Flat Lode near Carnkie, Carn Brea, Cornwall, SW England, UK.

The building is a protected Schedule II listed monument. The area is also recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (number 1215).

The pioneering industrial developments, innovations and techniques used in this area were hugely important to the Industrial Revolution and were exported all over the world.

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April 12th, 2023

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