Tehidy Country Park Cornwall
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The Redruth Gaol of which this is a part was built in 1856. It is located in the township of Burra, South Australia. In 1979 the gaol and the district surrounding Burra was used in the South Australian Film Corporation’s production of Breaker Morant. The studio selected the location because of its likeness to the area of South Africa where the story of the award winning movie was centred.
© Irwin Reynolds, all rights reserved. If you are interested in using one of my images or would like a high-quality fine art print, please send an email to irwinreynolds@me.com.
A couple of shots from around Redruth, sadly mostly with IEPs opposed to HSTs, or 25s, 50s and westerns.
802105 1A82 09:10 Penzance to London Paddington.
This is the specially modified variant of the IEP with six roof mounted clay exhaust ports.
Redruth has some of the best Victorian architecture of any mining town.
I think this building may have been a pub or hotel when it was first built. It is at the bottom of Fore Street. The dome to the left is copper.
The name Redruth is said to be derived from the fact that by the 14th century the stream running along the bottom of Fore Street was so discoloured with iron oxide from tinning activities that it ran red. Hence Redruth, the Cornish for ford is Rhys and red is Ruth.
Historically, Redruth was a small market town overshadowed by its neighbours until a boom in the demand for copper ore during the 18th century. Copper ore had mostly been discarded by the Cornish tin-mining industry but was now needed to make brass, an essential metal in the Industrial Revolution. Surrounded by copper ore deposits, Redruth quickly became one of the largest and richest mining areas in Britain and the town's population grew markedly, although most miners' families remained poor.
I was torn between photographing the down platform building which, in my opinion looks great, and the base to the weighing scales. The dilemma led me to attempt to catch both in the same shot.
800010 2C18 1027 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
For information the guy walking onto the up platform questioned my intentions. He was ambivalent about the station building.
The inscription on the scales plate :-
TO WEIGH 20 CWT
BP no 20264
HENRY POOLEY & SON Ltd
BIRMINGHAM
& LONDON
A couple of shots from around Redruth, sadly mostly with IEPs opposed to HSTs, or 25s, 50s and westerns.
800316 2C04 07:42 Plymouth to Penzance
The Redruth Bridge, constructed in 1878-79 is an example of a riveted iron bow-string truss. It was officially opened at a ceremony on 12 December 1879 by the local representative of the Midland Road Board, Captain Killicoat, and a large party of civic dignitaries from the town and district councils.
The Redruth Bridge cost
£1,400 to build, and replaced an earlier timber laminated arch
bridge that had become quite rotten and unsafe. The bridge was designed as an iron bow-string truss with shaped stone abutments, and provided separate vehicular and pedestrian access. Like the bridge at Kooringa, the Redruth
Bridge was originally finished with jarrah planking, which was
replaced with reinforced concrete in the 1930s.
Source: cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/burra_bridges.pdf
Redruth station was opened in 1852 by the West Cornwall Railway on its line from Truro to Penzance. It is still open.
37057 rushes through Redruth late at night returning to Exeter having run down the Falmouth branch in the early hours of the morning before resting up at Penzance,
3Z51 2232 Penzance to Exeter Riverside N.Y.
The Grade II listed rather photogenic Gwennap United Stamps Engine House was constructed in 1899 30 years after the closure of United Mines. It was erected to house a 34 inch stamps engine for the reworking of the mine dumps as Gwennap United
Click here for more photographs of United Mines: www.jhluxton.com/Industrial-Archaeology/Mines-of-Devon-Co...
United Mines was formed by the amalgamation of Ale and Cakes Mine, Wheal Cupboard, and Poldory around 1780. Located just south of the Great Consolidated Mines in the parish of Gwennap, they border the villages of St. Day and Crofthandy to the west and the Poldice and Carnon valleys to the north. Later, the group expanded to include Wheal Britannia, Wheal Clifford, Wheal Moor, Wheal Squire, Wheal Andrew (also known as Friendship Mines), and Copper Hill Mine.
Little is known of the history of the individual mines of the United Mines group. Poldory was probably active in 1760. It appears to have commenced production as a small scale tin mine and then been combined with other small-scale mines in the area in 1815 under the name of United Mines.
In the early 1820s, John Taylor obtained the lease for abandoned mines in the Gwennap parish. He initially reworked their setts and eventually discovered the world's richest copper lode at that time. By 1822, the Gwennap Mines were already profitable.
At that time, the primary production in the area was copper, with some tin and ochre also being extracted. The materials were transported north to the port of Portreath for smelting in South Wales via the Portreath Tramroad. As the mines grew more profitable, the tramroad owners increased the trans-shipping fees. In response, John Taylor built his own tramway southward through the Carnon Valley to Devoran on the south coast. The Redruth and Chasewater mineral tramway, initially horse-drawn, opened in 1824 and later switched to steam power mid-nineteenth century. The railway was operational for over 90 years, eventually closing in 1915.
Eldon's pumping engine house, also referred to as Little's, housed a 30-inch cylinder pumping engine and dates back to around the 1830s. Its primary function was to pump water from the adit to the surface.
United Mines continued to expand and eventually merged with the adjacent Consolidated Mines in 1857, forming 'Clifford Amalgamated Mines'. At its zenith, these mines boasted 80 miles of subterranean workings and 22 engines. By 1861, the entire group was incorporated into Great Consolidated as Clifford Amalgamated Mines. From 1835 to 1861, Wheal Clifford extracted 50,167 tons of copper ore at 6.5% purity and 365 tons of black tin. During the same period, the other mines in the United Downs group yielded 347,500 tons of copper ore at 7.5% purity, 250 tons of black tin, 158 tons of arsenic, 1,290 tons of pyrite, and 271 tons of zinc ore.
Declining metal prices ultimately led to the closure of mines around 1870.
From 1899 into the early 20th century the mine dumps were reworked and engines installed for puping water for ore processing as well as for powering stamps.
The area was prospected again in the 1940’s and brief trial mining operations were conducted but no commercial mining took place.
Historically, Redruth was a small market town overshadowed by its neighbours until a boom in the demand for copper ore during the 18th century. Redruth quickly became one of the largest and richest mining areas in Britain and the town's population grew markedly, although most miners' families remained poor.
The area of West End Redruth, until the late 19th century, served as the financial and administrative quarter of Redruth. Many of the historical shop fronts still remain today even though they look worse for wear.
Grade II listed. With its name making it sound grander than it is, Treleigh Manor was a farmhouse dating from around 1700. Today it is a dwelling in Redruth, where it stands as a historical beacon in a sea of housing estates and industrial units.
Bank House, West End, Redruth is another building that has retained it wonderful windows.
Now occupied by the firm that is now known as Grylls and Paige, Solicitors was first established in 1836 and was known as Downing Samuel Theophilus Genn. In 1991 Grylls & Paige took over the well established firm of John Exelby's solicitors, legal services, conveyancing, litigation, wills probate. Having been located in West End, Redruth since 1912.
Redruth, Cornwall.
As an aside Mick Fleetwood, co founder of Fleetwood Mac was born in Redruth.
William Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton and Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten years. Born in Scotland and after moving to Redruth he lived in this house from 1782 to 1798 and it was here he made the first locomotive. He also invented gas lighting and it was used in this house in 1792. For all you need to know here's a link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Murdoch
Redruth, Cornwall.
Older than most in the area, copper was possibly mined here as early as the 1690s. It's named after a miner called Cook, who discovered a copper lode and according to legend he exclaimed that it was "as wide as my kitchen!". These remaining mine buildings of Chapple's Shaft date from around 1838. In the background the headgear from South Crofty mine can be seen.
1030 Western Musketeer waits for the right away from Redruth 12/5/1975 with the 08.00 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance service.
A rather mournful looking horse, on a wet carousel. Very hastily taken as it was chucking it down at the time and the camera was at risk!
I have a shot taken on Redruth station looking west and you can see Carn Brae in the distance and I always wondered what the reciprocal view was like. Well here it is, although there is a closer zoomed in view with a longer lens.
For the train follow the rock, to the line of house in the sun up to the church.
The large ornate building is grade II listed. It was built around 1870 (extended around 1890) as a wholesale grocers and warehouse.
The statue of the tin miner was erected in 2008, created by David Annand. Redruth and Camborne once led the world in copper and tin mining, with many skills, designs and even Cornish culture being spread far and wide (yes, Cornish pasties can be found in Mexico, among other countries, to this day). Standing proudly in Fore Street, it commemorates Redruth's rich copper and tin mining history.
The monument at Carn Brea can be seen above the loco.
The 1M85 07.40 Penzance to Liverpool Lime Street service slowing for the stop at Redruth in the summer of 1980.
Thanks to 'Marra Man' for the WTT info.
February 2023
43005 + 43010 cross the viaduct at Redruth working 2C05 0540 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance.
© Finbarr O'Neill
Grade II listed, the derelict engine houses of Hind's Shaft are at Wheal Uny, Trewirgie Downs, Redruth. As viewed here from below Carn Brea, the one on the left housed the pumping engine, while the right hand one is the 'whim', or winding engine house. The mine was active from around 1800, though the engine houses date from 1880 (whim) & 1870 (pump). The mine closed in 1893.
February 2023
Due to the late running of the 0804 London Paddington to Penzance, which ended up being capped at Plymouth, GWR operated 1Z72 1012 Exeter St Davids to Penzance in its path. 43042 "Tregenna Castle" + 43009 "Nunney Castle".
© Finbarr O'Neill
Grade II listed, the left building is dated 1891. It's difficult to find information on the specific use of these buildings when they were built. They are similar in design and size to Redruth's Mining Exchange, 100m down the hill in Alma Place, and they are directly opposite the train station, so they were probably offices used in connection with the tin mining industry. It is likely that one was occupied by the 'Inspector Of Weights & Measures' in the early 20th century. They are currently offices avilable to let.
Grade II listed.
"Pennance Consols sits just between Lanner and Redruth at the bottom of Carn Marth. Not a lot remains of this beauty whose origins date back as far as 1836. This mine was a pretty small working, employing only four people at its start, and not having an engine house built until 1866. Pennance Consols was originally known as Wheal Amelia, but this name was changed in 1850 to Pennance Consols, a name it worked under until it’s closure sometime before 1874. It was briefly reworked as part of the Wheal Buller sett during 1880-81 as East Wheal Buller." (explorecornwall.org/pennance-consols/)