Stamps engine house, Wheal Peevor, Treleigh, Redruth (2)
The engine houses of Wheal Peevor near Redruth date from 1872 and are grade II listed. This engine house was part of the ore processing operation, driving the stamps (ore crushers).
The early 1870s was a time of unprecedented tin prices, known as 'The Great Tin Boom', so this was a period of rapid growth of tin production in Cornwall. As tin is heavier than copper, the tin lodes formed deeper in the ground, making them harder to reach. Many old copper mines had reached their depth limit several decades earlier and closed down. However, at this time of higher tin prices combined with better technology, many of these old sites could be reworked, and this is one such example.
While Wheal Peevor was profitable for a while, tin prices in the 19th century were volatile, and the mine closed in 1889.
Stamps engine house, Wheal Peevor, Treleigh, Redruth (2)
The engine houses of Wheal Peevor near Redruth date from 1872 and are grade II listed. This engine house was part of the ore processing operation, driving the stamps (ore crushers).
The early 1870s was a time of unprecedented tin prices, known as 'The Great Tin Boom', so this was a period of rapid growth of tin production in Cornwall. As tin is heavier than copper, the tin lodes formed deeper in the ground, making them harder to reach. Many old copper mines had reached their depth limit several decades earlier and closed down. However, at this time of higher tin prices combined with better technology, many of these old sites could be reworked, and this is one such example.
While Wheal Peevor was profitable for a while, tin prices in the 19th century were volatile, and the mine closed in 1889.