ROSEVALE MINE
News and latest update on progress:
The Big Dig on No.2 Level is completed - December 2020
It has taken just over 2 years and 275 tons of digging to completely clear the blockage on No.2 Level. Progress was hampered by a reduced level of activity due to Covid-19 restrictions, but digging continued throughout the summer and autumn of 2020 to achieve final breakthrough. No. 2 Level is now easily accessible for its full length. All the water from the back of No.2 Level now by-passes the decant into Deep Adit Level and is piped to flow out through No.2 Level
It is hoped that the clearance will also now reduce the elevated levels of radon that built-up in the back of the level.
Claire Wilson's new book: 'Hidden in Plain Sight' is published - January 2020
Claire has taken a lot of excellent underground photographs of Rosevale Mine over the past few years and some of these are now included in a new book that she has published - Hidden in Plain Sight.
150 tons removed from the clearance dig on No.2 Level - January 2020
A further few months of digging and we have removed a total of 150 tons, We are almost half-way through the dig and have nearly reached the junction of Main Lode with Caunter Lode. We estimate a further 200 tons to completely clear through.
100 tons removed from the clearance dig on No.2 Level - May 2019
After six months of digging we have removed 100 tons of deads from the big blockage on No.2 Level. Progress is slow but steady. During this work we came across the remnants of an old wooden boat buried in the muck pile. This boat is larger than a typical rowing boat. We have no explanation for this and can only guess that it was brought into the mine in pieces and used for support or lagging. We have saved the larger pieces of timber and will store these in the mine in the hope that someone with knowledge of wooden boats may be able to provide some more information about its type and possible date.
John Kennedy offers a generous donation towards the mine funds - March 2019
We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to John Kennedy who has very kindly offered to make donations to the mine. This generous gift is very important for us as it enables us to continue with the on-going maintenance and restoration of the mine.
Two more wagons - December 2018
David Pollard, from Mylor, has very kindly donated two ex-South Crofty 1 ton side-tip wagons to the mine. For the past few years David had carefully conserved these wagons as features in his garden. These wagons will be re-gauged and used with our existing four wagons.
THE BIG DIG - October 2018
We started to clear the large pile of collapsed material beyond the old winze on No.2 Level. This blockage is over 30 metres long and we estimate that there is approximately 450 - 500 tons of material to remove, which will probably take us the next 4 - 5 years. The clearance of this collapse will allow us walk-in access along the entire length of No.2 Level. Part of the way along we expect to encounter a backfilled winze connecting with Deep Adit Level, which we also aim to dig out.
Trevithick Society and Zennor Feast visits to the mine - May 2018
On 12th May we welcomed about 20 members of the Trevithick Soceity to the mine as part of their 2018 AGM and on 15th May we welcomed a visit to the mine as part of this year's Zennor Feast. This event has been held for the past couple of years as part of the village's annual celebrations and we are very pleased at the level of interest that is shown in our project by local residents.
BREAKTHROUGH - February 2018
By the start of February the excavation of the old winze on No.2 Level had reached a depth of almost 80 feet, after the removal of a total of 200 wagon loads of backfill. At this point the roofs of two levels have been found driven along the lode for a short distance east and west of the winze. Both of these have been left partially full of sludge. The lode at this depth is over 1 metre wide and contains tin.
Early in May wooden planking across the full width of the winze was reached at a depth of just under 90 feet. This marks the base of the winze, although a square hole in the centre of the planking appears to be a sump. It has taken 3 years with over 250 tons of muck removed by hand to clear out this winze. In our opinion, this winze was sunk as part of exploration carried out in 1910s to prove the lode in depth with a view to blocking out the ground to the west and east. The lode at the bottom is over 1 metre wide and contains fine cassiterite.
Policy Team from the Eden Project visit the mine - October 2017
Ten staff from the Policy Team at the Eden Project visited the mine as part of an 'Away Day' in Penwith, followed by lunch at The Gurnards Head. There was particular interest in the various types of life that exists underground, including bacteria on the ochre staining in No.1 Level, which is relevant to modern-day research into mineral extraction and the environmental clean-up of abandoned mining sites.
