UK Grid Reference: SX032516
Latitude: 50°19'50"N
Longitude: 4°45'55"W
Polmear (SX032516), a copper mine that also raised ores of lead, silver, zinc and iron, lies about one mile east southeast of St Austell. Includes South Polmear (SX030515).
Spargo (1865) wrote "...The soil was broken in 1842, but the present Company took the works in hand about 10 years ago. The results have disappointed the expectations, inasmuch as the rich discoveries of copper have not lasted. The miners call it a " bunchy " mine. Considering the shallowness of the works, the returns may be regarded as fair. One could wish to see a trial 50 fathoms deeper, but the Company want heart to sink, so they are content to see what they can find at shallow points. A new wheel for pumping water has lately been set to work at the eastern side of the sett, where the prospects are good. The lodes are large, numerous, and promising".... "Minerals sold in 1864, 753 tons 1 cwt 0 qrs. of copper ore for £3,859 3s 4d, 88 tons of mundic [pyrite] for £74 13s 9d making a total of £3,933 17s 1d".
Records of output (Dines 1956):
Polmear: 1856-69 & 1998-1900, 6459 tons of 8% copper ore, 77 tons of 33% zinc ore, 1733 tons of pyrite, 64 tons arsenopyrite and 5cwt black tin.
South Polmear: 1869-76, 34 tons of 5.5% copper ore; 1870-80, 14 tons of 50% lead ore, 150 oz of silver and 38 tons of pyrite.
References
http://www.cornwallinfocus.co.uk/history/polmear.php
The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England, H G Dines 1956
A Handbook to the Mineralogy of Devon and Cornwall. J H Collins 1871
Statistics and Observations on the Mines of Cornwall and Devon. Thomas Spargo 1865
Mineral List
9 entries listed. 8 valid minerals.
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