Stenna Gwyn Mine (Stennagwyn Mine), Foxhole, St Stephen-in-Brannel, St Austell District, Cornwall, England, UK

• Display
  • Standard
  • Detailed
  • By Strunz Category
  • By Dana Category
  • Type Localities in Region
• Photos
  • Site Photos (1)
  • - Modern Site Photo (1)
  • Add Photo
• Maps
  • Map Pages
  • Nearest Localities
• Search
  • Mineral Search
  • Search Google

An ancient underground mine which ceased work shortly after 1804. An attempt may have been made to re-open it in 1880 when a return of 1 ton of black tin is recorded. Online court records show a dispute over unpaid bills for this period.
Stennagwyn is referred to under a number of different spellings including Stenna Gwinn which was used repeatedly by William Gregor in his correspondence regarding his research on Wavellite and Fluellite.
When working, Stennagwyn had china clay works immediately to the north and south. North of the mine, the works eventually became the West of England China Clay Works which has been cleared and the site is now occupied by the currently active Goverseth Plant. Immediately to the south was the North Carloggas China Clay works. The china clay works in the close vicinity of Stennagwyn were amongst the first to supply materials to the fledgling potteries in Stoke on Trent.

In the early 1980's there were at least two remaining chimneys from Stennagwyn Mine together with the foundations of a building. The chimney immediately behind the terrace of cottages had the base of a small building nearby. Unfortunately, since then, the area has been levelled to provide a football pitch, clubhouse, day center for young children and a static caravan park. Everything behind the terrace has either been flattened or pushed into a single heap.
With so much happening in this relatively small area it is impossible to find any original features in situ. The 24 inch map of 1908 shows extensive dumps that are now all lost.

Beer (1988) reports that the mine was worked from two shafts, adit level and a large openwork. None of this can be found today. One of the pipes going under the railway may take water from an adit? Industrial archaeological features can be viewed from the railway line. The locals have forced a footpath across the site, including the seldom used railway track, to link Goonamaris with the convenience store in Foxhole.
Carpholite supposedly collected here in 1952 by Arthur Kingsbury (1906-68) is now considered unlikely. This is one of a number of likely or definitely falsified Kingsbury localities.

Mineral List

'Apatite' Arsenopyrite Autunite Carpholite ? Cassiterite Chalcopyrite

Ferberite Fluellite (TL) Fluorapatite Fluorite Mesolite Muscovite var: Gilbertite

Natrolite Opal Quartz Stannite Talc 'Tavistockite'

Torbernite 'Tourmaline var: Achroite' Wavellite 'Wolframite'

22 entries listed. 15 valid minerals. 1 type locality (valid mineral). 2 erroneous literature entries.

References