Cornwall Kernow
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Cornwall Kernow
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King Edward mine and mining museum Treslothan Church Memorial Records USEFUL LINKS |
<<<<back to page one - History and development <<<<back to page two - Underground, and Milling and dressing King
Edward Mine Today
When the new School of Mines building was
opened in Pool in 1974 some of the activities such as the mill, or pilot plant
as it had become, were transferred down to Pool. In 1987 a volunteer group was set up with the objective of preserving and reequipping the now redundant mill complex around the surviving californian stamps battery. What is remarkable is how much of the original 'Edwardian' mine constructed by CSM still survive. Figure 8 shows the site about 1905
Figure 8 King Edward Mine c 1905 Figure 9 (below) shows the site from the same point in May 2000.
Figure 9 King Edward Mine, May 2000 Over the years plant and equipment has been rescued from across Cornwall and the mill has been restored to working order. The following are two examples of some of the work: The restoration of a
Cornish Round Frame.
Figure10 This Illustrates what two round frames look like in "kit form". The parts, which consisted of two small lorry loads of pieces of wood, had been carefully numbered when dismantled. Unfortunately the key to the numbering had been lost! One frame was made out of the pile of pieces and erected exactly where the original round frame had stood.
Figure 11 A Cornish Round Frame
Figure 12 Shows a 100 h.p. diesel engine newly re-erected in the adjoining engine room. A European funded grant permitted much needed building restoration work, toilets, establishment of a small museum and other services. The site was opened to the public in 2002 under the management of the Trevithick Trust, an education charity, who lease part of the site from Camborne School of Mines. Volunteers The volunteer group meets at KEM every Sunday 09.00 - 13.00. New volunteers are always welcome both on the construction/maintenance side and also to help out when necessary, but a sense of humour is essential. Interested? If so contact Tony Brooks on 01209 713506 or email tbrooks@telinco.co.uk Figures 13, 14 and 15 (below) - Museum exhibits - courtesy Peter Benbow (Click on small photo to see large version in new screen - click on the back button in your browser to return to this page)
Figures 16 and 17. Very important new addition - June 2008. Frue Vanner, newly restored. Diagram/plans. The only working Frue Vanner in the world. Grade 1 Listed.
Figures 18 and 19. (Photo courtesy Peter Benbow)
Arrived on Wednesday 6th August 2003 a rotative single acting Cornish beam engine of 22inch bore and 6 foot stroke and an equal 10 foot beam This engine is of a similar size and type that was in the Winder engine house at K.E.M. Originally made by West and son of St Blazey to William West’s design in 1851 and was first installed at Locking Gate Bugle and worked there for 10 years. It was then installed at Rostowrack Clay works and worker there for 91 years. After this period of work it was then exhibited in the Holman Museum in Camborne and then later at Tolgus Tin Redruth An important part of this engine is the design of cross head bars instead of parallel motion for the piston rod and is the only example remaining today. Figure 20 - Winder On Thursday August 21 2003 - at KEM - with the aid of a 30 ton crane, at last workers and volunteers were able to put back onto its original foundation the steam winder that was first there in 1908. This winder was later installed a Castle-in-Dinas about 1942 where it worked until 1957, after which it was put on display at Poldark as a visitor attraction. (Courtesy Peter Benbow)
Figure 21 - Aerial photo taken by the RAF in 1957 (Crown copyright) Click on small photo to get large version. (Large file which could be slow to load) KEM is in the bottom right quarter of the photograph. This photo is reproduced with the permission of the owner.
Figure 22 - Camborne School of Mines students at work underground.
(JC Burrows postcard , c 1906, in collection DAH) <<<<back to page one - History and development <<<<back to page two - Underground, and Milling and dressing |
