Engine House At Sw623295, West Wheal Metal And Flow Or Gold Hill Tin Mine

SW 62 NW BREAGE

7/28 Engine house at SW623295, West Wheal Metal and Flow or Gold Hill tin mine

GV II

Disused beam engine house. 1881. Killas and granite rubble walls with dressed granite quoins and jambstones, granite ashlar bob wall, round brick arches and timber lintels. Rectangular single cell plan, thicker bob wall at west side. Three storeys over basement, floors and machinery removed. West bob wall has large central ground floor round-arched opening, blind over, and former weathrboarded 2nd floor and gable removed. The opposite east wall has similar ground floor opening. Gable over fallen. The side walls have ground floor openings with granite lintels over and 1st and second floor openings spanned by wooden lintels. This engine house contained a rotative beam engine of about 30 inch cylinder diameter. It drove a set of stamps and also drew water for dressing purposes from the adit level via a shaft at the rear by means of a 'back-bob'. The machinery was used for some years to treat the huge waste dumps of Wheal Vor and Wheal Metal but underground operation was minimal. The engine house is of technical interest in that it. is one of only two in Cornwall which show clearly where the back bob was mounted. There is a fine detached chimney at a short distance to the south east (see Detached Chimney at SW623295 NW, West Wheal Metal, qv) and traces of a former underground flue leading to this survive. Sources: Kenneth Brown, council member of the Trevithick Society.

Listing NGR: SW6226429524