Levant Mine and Beam Engine

{{Infobox historic site

| name = Levant Mine and Beam Engine

| native_name =

| native_language =

| image = Levant Mine from the air.jpg

| caption = Levant Mine seen from the air

| type = industrial heritage, mine

| locmapin = Cornwall

| coordinates = {{coord|50|09|08|N|5|41|08|W|display=inline,title}}

| location = Trewellard, Cornwall, England

| area =

| built =

| architect =

| architecture =

| governing_body =

| owner = National Trust

| designation1 = WHS

| designation1_date = 2006 (30th session)

| designation1_partof = Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape

| designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1215 1215]

| designation1_criteria = ii, iii, iv

| designation1_type = Cultural

| designation1_free1name = Region

| designation1_free1value = Europe and North America

| designation2 = Grade II Listed Building

| designation2_offname = Levant Engine Houses

| designation2_date = 19 March 1979

| designation2_number = {{listed building England|1143268}}

| designation3 = Grade II Listed Building

| designation3_offname = Skip Shaft Headframe, Geevor Mine (Levant Section)

| designation3_date = 13 July 2011

| designation3_number = {{listed building England|1401870}}

| designation4 = Grade II Listed Building

| designation4_offname = Higher Levant Mine

| designation4_date = 11 June 2019

| designation4_number = {{listed building England|1460143}}

| designation5 =

| designation5_offname =

| designation5_date =

| designation5_number =

}}

Levant Mine and Beam Engine is a National Trust property at Trewellard, Pendeen, near St Just, Cornwall, England, UK. Its main attraction is that it has the world's only Cornish beam engine still operated by steam on its original site. There is also a visitor centre, a short underground tour, and the South West Coast Path leads to Botallack Mine, via a cliff-top footpath.{{cite web

|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-levantmineandbeamengine/|title=Levant Mine and Beam Engine|publisher=National Trust|accessdate=2011-10-15}} (dead link 2 September 2019)

In 1919 the engine used to transport men between the different levels of the mine failed, leading to the deaths of thirty-one men. Since 2006, the area has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Location

File:Levant Mine 1.jpg

File:Levant Mine 2.jpg

File:Levant Mine 3.jpg

File:Levant Mine 4.jpg

thumb

The property is on the site of the former Levant Mine, established in 1820 and closed in 1930, where tin and copper ores were raised. The mine reached a depth of about 600 metres. It got the nickname "mine under the sea", because tunnels were driven up to 2.5 km from the cliffs under the sea. The surviving beam engine was built {{Circa|1840}} by Harvey's of Hayle.{{cite web|url=http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/Levant-Mine-and-Beam-Engine/Cornwall-Museums/|title=Levant Mine and Beam Engine|publisher=Cornwall Museums|accessdate=24 May 2016}}

File:Levant-Mine Gebaeude en.jpg

History

The mine yields both copper and tin and was opened in 1820 with twenty shares of £20 each. From first opening, to circa 1883, the mine gave a profit of £171,000 from approximately £1,300,000 worth of ore. In 1882 the mine was taken over by new owners on a 21 year lease, who replaced machinery and improved the surface-works.{{cite news |last1=Croft |first1=E W (Ouit) |title=The Industries Of Penzance And Its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine |work=The Cornishman |issue=283 |date=13 December 1883 |page=7}}

In 1883 three shafts were open. One shaft is occupied by the man-engine, a second by a pumping-engine and the third for hauling out the skips. Since the introductions of skips, for bringing ore to the surface, two shafts were abandoned. There were six engines on site,

pumping-engine, {{convert|45|inch}} cylinder – pumps water from the mine
stamping, {{convert|30|inch}} cylinder – breaks up the ore
winding-engine or whim, {{convert|26|inch}} cylinder – raises the ore to the surface
man-engine, {{convert|24|inch}} cylinder
crushing-machine, {{convert|18|inch}} cylinder
winding-engine, {{convert|14|inch}} cylinder.{{cite news |last1=Croft |first1=E W (Ouit) |title=The Industries of Penzance and its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine (continued) |work=The Cornishman |issue=284 |date=20 December 1883 |page=4}}

A description of the working conditions of the mine was described in The Cornishman newspaper in 1883. Around 366 men, boys, and girls were employed compared with about 600 prior to 1882. The mine was worked in three, eight-hour shifts, (except on Sunday) with fifty to sixty men working underground in each shift. Access to the underground levels (i.e. passages) was by ladder and the temperature was around {{convert|92|F}}. The men were all more or less working in a nude state and sweating profusely. They were provided with spring water which was stored in huge canteens. Few are able to work underground after the age of 35.{{cite news |last1=Perambulating Contributor |title=Roundabout Papers No 9. A Visit To Levant Mine |work=The Cornishman |issue=281 |date=29 October 1881 |page=7}} The width of the levels are {{convert|7|feet}} high and {{convert|3-4|feet}} wide, while the width of the lode is from {{convert|6|inch}} to {{convert|3|feet}} wide. Thus a quantity of hard rock on each side of the lode has to be cut away at great expense. The levels are expanded by explosives. First a hole is made by hand-drill {{convert|20|inch}} deep, taking about two hours and the hole is charged with gunpowder. Premature ignition causes many injuries and fatalities. A {{convert|14|inch}} cylinder engine raised the ore to the surface in skips on two parallel inclines, one ascending as the other was lowered.

= 1919 disaster =

On 20 October 1919 an accident killed 31 miners, when a metal bracket at the top of a rod broke on the man engine. To use the man engine, the miners stepped on to a ladder, were transported {{convert|12|feet}} up or down, climbed off onto a sollar, waited for the ladder to reset its position, then stepped back on to the ladder, repeating the process. The rod broke in several pieces and heavy timbers crashed down the shaft. A large scale rescue operation was able to save some of the miners. The engine was not replaced and the lower levels of the mine were abandoned.{{cite news |last1=Wisdom |first1=Phil |title=Levant centenary will be marked on Sunday |work=The Cornishman |date=17 October 2019 |page=3}}

Minerals and ores

Mineral Statistics

From Robert Hunt's Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom{{Cite book |last1=Burt |first1=Roger |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZEpmwEACAAJ |title=Mining in Cornwall and Devon: Mines and Men |last2=Burnley |first2=Ray |last3=Gill |first3=Michael |last4=Neill |first4=Alasdair |date=2014 |publisher=University of Exeter Press |isbn=978-0-85989-889-8 |language=en}}.

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

|+Copper Production (1845-1927)

!Year(s)

!Ore (Tons)

!Metal (Tons)

!Value (£)

1845

|1,088.00

|106.60

|7,154.90

1846

|1,293.00

|130.30

|8,199.90

1847

|851.00

|98.80

|6,849.10

1848

|1,776.00

|177.60

|9,857.20

1849

|1,904.00

|170.90

|10,972.70

1850

|2,668.00

|217.10

|14,156.80

1851

|1,539.00

|118.10

|7,350.30

1852

|1,333.00

|101.60

|7,993.20

1853

|1,627.00

|91.30

|8,141.30

1854

|1,589.00

|87.70

|8,201.20

1855

|1,578.00

|94.90

|9,060.80

1856

|1,641.00

|94.00

|7,859.40

1857

|1,587.00

|81.60

|7,446.10

1858

|1,473.00

|96.80

|8,267.30

1859

|1,567.00

|90.30

|7,940.10

1860

|957.00

|57.20

|5,126.00

1861

|967.00

|61.80

|5,260.70

1862

|1,069.00

|71.30

|5,508.10

1863

|1,203.00

|85.20

|6,252.50

1864

|839.00

|53.60

|4,235.70

1865

|609.00

|42.20

|3,112.40

1866

|349.00

|25.60

|1,543.10

1867

|376.00

|37.20

|2,493.00

1868

|380.00

|34.70

|2,278.20

1869

|142.00

|18.60

|1,185.80

1870

|100.00

|16.20

|1,029.90

1871

|72.00

|9.00

|572.50

1873

|74.00

|8.00

|518.90

1874

|61.00

|12.50

|912.60

1875

|123.00

|18.40

|1,411.80

1876

|338.00

|41.60

|2,767.30

1877

|419.80

|52.40

|2,897.10

1878

|741.10

|100.70

|5,386.40

1879

|385.60

|45.20

|2,312.10

1880

|519.00

|70.30

|3,990.70

1881

|1,002.40

|123.90

|6,949.60

1882

|1,173.00

|117.30

|7,800.00

1883

|1,477.70

|155.00

|7,357.00

1884

|1,637.00

|..

|8,014.00

1885

|1,364.00

|..

|6,073.00

1886

|634.00

|..

|3,419.00

1887

|727.00

|..

|3,698.00

1888

|1,209.00

|..

|14,187.00

1889

|1,505.00

|..

|7,293.00

1890

|1,979.00

|..

|6,798.00

1891

|2,189.00

|..

|5,994.00

1892

|1,719.00

|..

|3,788.00

1893

|1,230.00

|..

|3,441.00

1894

|1,882.00

|..

|7,577.00

1895

|4,333.00

|..

|15,730.00

1896

|4,897.00

|..

|16,299.00

1897

|3,455.00

|..

|11,009.00

1898

|2,981.00

|..

|12,057.00

1899

|3,627.00

|..

|17,827.00

1900

|5,064.00

|..

|22,097.00

1901

|3,550.00

|..

|17,430.00

1902

|3,056.00

|..

|10,540.00

1903

|3,381.00

|..

|10,961.00

1904

|2,884.00

|..

|8,440.00

1905

|3,387.00

|..

|11,788.00

1906

|2,140.00

|..

|8,819.00

1907

|1,962.00

|..

|9,007.00

1908

|807.00

|..

|4,215.00

1909

|1,202.00

|..

|3,737.00

1910

|683.00

|..

|2,049.00

1911

|900.00

|..

|3,062.00

1912

|510.00

|..

|5,004.00

1913

|383.00

|..

|3,303.00

1914

|403.00

|..

|1,948.00

1915

|164.00

|..

|1,283.00

1916

|125.00

|..

|1,475.00

1916

|155.00

|..

|2,466.00

1917

|125.00

|..

|1,525.00

1917

|146.00

|..

|2,529.00

1918

|41.00

|..

|513.00

1918

|54.00

|..

|1,782.00

1922

|96.00

|..

1923

|4.90

|..

1924

|13.00

|..

1925

|9.00

|..

1926

|9.00

|..

1927

|4.60

|..

|.

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

|+Tin Production (1852-1970)

!Year(s)

!Black (Tons)

!Stuff (Tons)

!Tin (Tons)

!Value (£)

1852

|57.50

|..

1853

|41.00

|..

|2,861.50

1854

|287.40

|..

|19,540.00

1855

|310.00

|..

|20,099.70

1856

|218.40

|..

|15,659.80

1857

|192.20

|..

|15,161.90

1858

|151.30

|..

|9,587.20

1859

|210.50

|..

|15,479.50

1860

|227.30

|..

|18,138.60

1861

|178.50

|..

|13,404.10

1862

|241.30

|..

|15,906.60

1863

|170.30

|..

|11,178.30

1864

|184.00

|..

|11,920.80

1865

|183.30

|..

|9,913.90

1866

|94.90

|..

|9,657.70

1867

|187.10

|..

|9,916.90

1868

|134.90

|..

|7,434.00

1869

|174.10

|..

|12,073.30

1870

|138.80

|..

|9,914.10

1871

|86.30

|..

|6,368.80

1872

|6.80

|..

|456.60

1873

|83.90

|..

|6,154.80

1874

|150.10

|..

|8,024.20

1875

|195.60

|..

|9,592.90

1876

|247.80

|..

|10,518.00

1877

|260.10

|..

|10,569.50

1878

|233.20

|..

|8,323.60

1879

|273.60

|..

|10,944.00

1880

|227.40

|..

|11,452.50

1881

|232.60

|..

|158.50

|12,603.60

1882

|230.20

|..

|196.70

|13,475.00

1883

|283.10

|..

|14,984.00

1884

|316.70

|..

|14,498.00

1885

|452.20

|..

|21,664.00

1886

|456.40

|..

|25,244.00

1887

|492.40

|..

|30,598.00

1888

|436.90

|..

|28,182.00

1889

|451.20

|..

|24,769.00

1890

|475.00

|..

|26,730.00

1891

|578.40

|..

|31,436.00

1892

|498.80

|..

|27,265.00

1893

|665.00

|..

|33,775.00

1894

|628.90

|..

|26,109.00

1895

|517.30

|..

|19,630.00

1896

|421.50

|..

|16,201.00

1897

|571.80

|..

|23,162.00

1898

|556.00

|..

|24,428.00

1899

|551.40

|..

|38,940.00

1900

|464.00

|..

|37,852.00

1901

|514.20

|..

|37,075.00

1902

|573.20

|..

|43,726.00

1903

|561.80

|..

|43,925.00

1904

|540.40

|..

|43,005.00

1905

|528.50

|..

|46,450.00

1906

|456.90

|..

|49,031.00

1907

|338.80

|..

|37,044.00

1908

|361.60

|..

|28,670.00

1909

|422.00

|..

|33,857.00

1910

|370.00

|..

|33,490.00

1911

|431.00

|..

|49,035.00

1912

|363.30

|..

|46,593.00

1913

|381.00

|..

|45,583.00

1914

|447.00

|..

|36,912.00

1914

|119.00

|9,053.00

|..

1915

|462.00

|..

|40,854.00

1915

|411.00

|26,380.00

|..

1916

|437.00

|..

|44,374.00

1916

|437.00

|..

|46,298.00

1917

|372.00

|..

|48,142.00

1917

|372.00

|..

|48,500.00

1918

|278.00

|..

|53,828.00

1918

|278.00

|..

|55,171.00

1919

|313.00

|15,355.00

|..

1922

|176.75

|8,590.00

|..

1923

|278.00

|19,360.00

|..

1924

|454.00

|37,130.00

|..

1925

|396.00

|39,642.00

|..

1926

|295.00

|35,582.00

|..

1927

|357.00

|35,310.00

|..

1928

|414.00

|29,292.00

|..

1929-1931

|no-details

|..

1962

|no-details

|..

1966-1970

|no-details

|..

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

|+Arsenic Production (1881-1927)

!Year(s)

!Ore (Tons)

!Value (£)

1881

|20.00

|50.00

1882

|20.00

|80.00

1883

|11.30

|43.00

1884

|110.00

|467.00

1885

|207.80

|861.00

1886

|142.80

|625.00

1887

|144.00

|773.00

1888

|146.00

|762.00

1889

|173.00

|935.00

1890

|75.00

|553.00

1891

|186.00

|1,267.00

1892

|246.00

|1,143.00

1893

|189.00

|1,083.00

1894

|192.00

|1,243.00

1895

|216.00

|1,299.00

1896

|250.00

|1,609.00

1897

|231.00

|2,019.00

1898

|132.00

|434.00

1899

|200.00

|912.00

1900

|216.00

|1,579.00

1904

|105.00

|368.00

1905

|650.00

|1,787.00

1906

|234.00

|2,267.00

1907

|196.00

|4,222.00

1908

|106.00

|512.00

1909

|100.00

|569.00

1910

|99.00

|586.00

1911

|163.00

|522.00

1912

|168.80

|563.00

1913

|122.00

|555.00

1914

|58.00

|213.00

1916

|197.00

|1,681.00

1916

|202.00

|1,162.00

1917

|86.00

|2,351.00

1917

|86.00

|2,786.00

1918

|52.00

|2,938.00

1918

|52.00

|3,184.00

1922

|11.00

|..

1923

|15.00

|..

1924

|94.00

|..

1925

|40.00

|..

1926

|30.00

|..

1927

|10.00

|..

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

|+Employment (1878-1931)

!Year(s)

!Total

!Overground

!Underground

1878

|294

|102

|192

1879

|279

|87

|192

1880

|299

|94

|205

1881

|308

|96

|212

1882

|326

|105

|221

1883

|362

|116

|246

1884

|358

|114

|244

1885

|406

|127

|279

1886

|430

|134

|296

1887

|448

|133

|315

1888

|505

|150

|355

1889

|509

|159

|350

1890

|513

|159

|354

1891

|519

|154

|365

1892

|489

|157

|332

1893

|501

|162

|339

1894

|562

|179

|383

1895

|604

|192

|412

1896

|602

|201

|401

1897

|609

|202

|407

1898

|607

|198

|409

1899

|630

|203

|427

1900

|692

|213

|479

1901

|724

|226

|498

1902

|710

|201

|509

1903

|685

|201

|484

1904

|679

|200

|479

1905

|634

|199

|435

1906

|547

|188

|359

1907

|501

|181

|320

1908

|523

|171

|352

1909

|494

|172

|322

1910

|457

|165

|292

1911

|476

|171

|305

1912

|474

|172

|302

1913

|439

|167

|272

1914

|410

|164

|246

1915

|386

|164

|222

1916

|377

|161

|216

1917

|365

|156

|209

1918

|312

|136

|176

1918

|312

|136

|176

1919

|331

|144

|187

1919

|331

|144

|187

1920

|326

|150

|176

1921

|76

|66

|10

1922

|118

|67

|51

1923

|191

|97

|94

1924

|232

|105

|127

1925

|276

|114

|162

1926

|257

|108

|149

1927

|255

|108

|147

1928

|192

|99

|93

1929

|198

|93

|105

1930

|158

|75

|83

1931

|2

|..

References

External links

[https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/levant-mine-and-beam-engine Levant Mine and Beam Engine information at the National Trust]
[http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='levant') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Levant]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100419030449/http://www.landsendarea.com/trails/levant.htm Levant Mine Self-guided trail]
{{NHLE |num=1143268}}

Category:Copper mines in Cornwall

Category:Grade II listed buildings in Cornwall

Category:Grade II listed industrial buildings

Category:Industrial archaeological sites in Cornwall

Category:Mining equipment

Category:Mining museums in Cornwall

Category:National Trust properties in Cornwall

Category:1919 disasters in the United Kingdom

Category:Preserved beam engines

Category:St Just in Penwith

Category:Steam museums in England

Category:Tin mines in Cornwall