Found an interesting article about our town's Mining Industry, which operated here from the 1850's - 1968. To say things have changed in the Pits is an understatement!
www.dmm.org.uk/articles/h903.htm
Last edited by: devonite on Sat 24 Sep 16 at 11:51
|
>>Howl things have changed
Yes indeedy:
"I went a mile further and soe came where they were digging in the Tinn mines. there was at least 20 mines all in sight which employs a great many people at work, almost night and day, but constantly all and every day includeing the Lords day which they are forced to, to prevent the mines being overflowed with water; more than 1000 men are taken up about them, few mines but had then almost 20 men and boys attending to it either down the mines digging and carrying the oare to the little bucket which conveys it up, or else others are draineing the water and looking to the engines that are draineing it, and those above are attending the drawing up the oare in a sort of windlass as it is to a well; two men keeps turning bringing up one and letting down another, they are much like the leather buckets they use in London to put out fire which hang up in churches and great mens halls; they have great labour and great expense to draine the mines of the water with mills that horses turn and now they have the mills or water engines that are turned by the water, which is convey'd on frames as timber and truncks to hold the water, which falls down on the wheeles, as an over shott mill - and these are the sort that turns the water into severall towns I have seen about London Darby and Exeter, and many places more; they do five tymes more good than the mills they use to turn with horses, but then they are much more chargeable; those mines do require a great deale of timber to support them and to make all these engines and mills, which makes fewell very scarce here; they burn mostly turffs which is an unpleasant smell, it makes one smell as if smoaked like bacon; this oar is made fine powder in a stamping mill which is like the paper mills, only these are pounded drye and noe water let into them as is to the raggs to work them into a paste; the mills are all turned with a little streame or channell of water you may step over; indeed they have noe other mills but such in all the country, I saw not a windmill all over Cornwall or Devonshire tho' they have wind and hills enough, and it may be its too bleake for them." ~ Celia Feinnes - 1698.
|
>>Celia Feinnes - 1698.
The way she describes it, you could almost be there! ;-) not that I'd want to be tho'! - too hard a life for me!
|
A decent bit of history can fascinate if done correctly. I once had to come up with something for about 15 scouts in the Haytor area. All the brighter and better ones had gone rock climbing.
I took them moaning and grumbling round the back of Haytor, and introduced this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haytor_Granite_Tramway Not that far, and you can make a quite easy walk of it.
Never heard another moan, and quite a few questions. (I was quite well prepared).
|
>>Haytor Granite Tramway
There are similar granite tracks at a place I know and luv on Bodmin Moor called Minions.
Few are the Emmets (apart from Pat) who know of places like this, fortunately ;)
www.minions-cornwall.co.uk/
|
We'll be there at the end of the week! At Sancreed at the moment and it's pouring with rain!
Pat
|
>>and it's pouring with rain!
Tell me about it!! .. Nice though, I'm actually looking forward to winter this year. No idea why, I just am.
|
how things have changed! - Dog
