Consolidated Mines, Engine House

GWENNAP SW 74 SW 4/94 Consolidated Mines, Engine House 21.11.85 GV II Beam engine house ruin. Circa early C19. Killas rubble with granite voussoirs, some jambstones, and lintel to ground floor, east, otherwise wooden lintels and wooden bearing pads for floors. Rectangular plan with thicker bob wall to north, surviving to full 2 floor height, formerly timber studded gable over. Originally with 3 floors. South wall partly built into bank is mostly fallen. West wall ½ fallen. East wall survives at north end to full 3 floor height, with 1 window to ground floor, right and 2 windows to first floor (left window blocked). Bob wall has arched ground floor opening with dressed granite jambstones and voussoirs. Designed for load bearing, outer half of doorway is narrower with segmental arch and projecting keystone. Inner half of doorway, also with abutment, has complete round-headed arch. (Compare east engine house of Cusvey Mine qv). Timber floor bearing pads over. Detached chimney to south at higher level, (separate item). Part of the Consols Mine which was Cornwall's most productive mine in the early C19. From 1823 to 1825 the Consolidated Mines produced 12½% of the total copper of Great Britain, and 15-25% of the Cornish total. Extract from History of Gwennap by C.C. James.

Listing NGR: SW7455242092