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Botallack Mine, Botallack, Botallack - Pendeen Area, St Just District, Cornwall, England, UK

Worked under the name Botallack, the sett includes the mines Cock, Crowns, Carnyorth, Botallack and Parknoweth. The workings commenced as a number of small mines some of which are now only represented as shafts (e.g. Wheals Bal, Hen, Tolvan, Button and Hazard)

The early history of the mines is not known but it’s lodes have been exploited since at least 1721. The submarine levels at Wheat Cock were being worked in 1778, when Pryce described how the miners were frightened by the rumbling of the rocks on the sea-bed above them during a storm. Joseph Carne stated in 1822 that it had been “....wrought under the sea beyond the memory of any person now living.....”

In 1858 work began on sinking the famous Boscawen Diagonal Shaft at the Crowns to provide access to the seaward extension of its lodes a third of a mile under the Atlantic. Many distinguished visitors came to Botallack to descend the shaft. Among them were the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) who were here on July 24th, 1865; Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria’s 12 year-old son; a party of senior officers of the Russian Navy; R. N. Ballantyne, the well-known Victorian author. None appear to have been deterred by an accident in 1863 when the wagon chain broke, sending 8 men and a boy hurtling to their deaths. These underground 'adventures' became so popular among the nobility and the leisured class that they threatened to become a hindrance to the working of the mine unless they were restricted. A charge of half a guinea was imposed on each visitor. The money was donated to a fund for the relief of widows and injured miners.

During the 1870's, as a result of a severe mining depression, Botallack began to make heavy losses, and in 1874 the Crowns section was abandoned. The adventurers struggled on for another 20 years but finally, in 1895, following the collapse of an underground dam in Wheat Cock, which flooded that section of the 112 fathom level, the mine was closed.

In 1905 a rise in the price of tin encouraged a new company to re-start Botallack. A new vertical shaft, known as Allen's Shaft, was sunk. After several disappointing years and the expenditure of a great deal of money, the enterprise was wound up and Botallack closed for a second time on March 14th, 1914.

Further exploration and a small amount of development work took place at Botallack during the 1980s through the expansion plans of Geevor Tin Mines.

An extensive history of the mine is given in "BOTALLACK", by Cyril Noall.

The coordinates given are those of Allen's Shaft.






References:
- Dines 1956
- Dana 7:I:298,649
- Rocks & Min.:60(1):24.
- Weiss, S. (1986): Die Grubenbezirke St.Just und St. Ives in Cornwall. LAPIS 11 (5), 9-32. [Botallack mine pp. 9-11]





UK OS Grid Reference: SW364334
Map Reference: 50°8'28"N , 5°41'23"W

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Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities


Mineral List:
Actinolite
Allophane
Almandine
Analcime
Andradite
var: Hydroandradite
Anthophyllite
Antimony
Antlerite
Apatite-(CaF)
var: Carbonate-rich Apatite-(CaF)
Aragonite
Arsenic
Arsenogoyazite
Arsenopyrite
Atacamite
Augite
'Axinite'
Bismuth
Bismuthinite
Bismutite
Bornite
Botallackite (TL)
Brochantite
Brushite
Buttgenbachite
Calcite
var: Manganoan Calcite
Cassiterite
Chalcanthite
'Chalcedony'
'var: Carnelian'
Chalcocite
Chalcomenite
Chalcophyllite
Chalcopyrite
var: Blister Copper
Chlorargyrite
'Chlorite Group'
Chrysocolla
Clinoclase
Clinoptilolite-Ca
Cobaltite
Connellite
Copper
Cornubite
Cornwallite
Cummingtonite
Cuprite
var: Tile ore
Cuprosklodowskite
Cyanotrichite
Devilline
Digenite
Djurleite
Dolomite
Dravite
Erythrite
Ferrohornblende
Feruvite
Fluorite
'Garnet Group'
Goethite
Gold
Goslarite
Graphite
Grunerite
Gypsum
Hastingsite
Helvite
Hematite
var: Specularite
Herderite
'Heulandite'
Heulandite-Ca
Heulandite-K
'Hornblende'
Jarosite
Kasolite
Kröhnkite
Langite
Libethenite
Limonite
Liroconite ?
Magnetite
Malachite
Manganite
Mesolite
Natrolite
Natron
Olivenite
Opal
var: Fire Opal
Orthoclase
Paracostibite
Paratacamite
Pargasite
Pharmacosiderite
Phenakite
Pitticite
Prehnite
Pseudomalachite
Pyrite
Pyrrhotite
Quartz
var: Amethyst
var: Citrine
var: Ferruginous Quartz
var: Jasper
var: Smoky Quartz
Rhodochrosite
Sadanagaite
Scheelite
Schorl
Scorodite
Siderite
Silver
Skutterudite
var: Smaltite

Sphalerite
Stannite
'Stilbite'
Talc
var: Steatite

Tennantite
Tenorite
Tetrahedrite
Titanite
Tremolite
Turquoise
Uraninite
var: Pitchblende
Uvite
Vesuvianite
Vivianite
Wickmanite
Woodwardite


178 entries listed. 109 valid minerals. 1 type locality (valid mineral). 1 erroneous literature entry.

Localities in this Region:
UK
 
  • England
    • Cornwall
      • St Just District
        • Botallack - Pendeen Area
          • Botallack
            • Botallack Mine

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Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them.Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 22nd Oct 2009 23:15:36