| Date: | 5th. July 2007 | |
| County: | CORNWALL | |
| Location: | Botallack (Crowns) Mines | |
| Type: | Scenic Area (Coast), Historical Ruins | |
| Sub-Type: | Headland, Mines | |
| Viewed by: | WALK from car park | |
| Car Park: | Free at Pendeen Watch Lighthouse (30 cars) | |
| Difficulty: | Moderate. Up and down over headland. | |
| Distance: | 10Km (actual) + 12Km (extended) | |
| Season: | Summer | |
| Weather: | Hazy. Overcast. | |
| Time Of Day: | Early - Late Afternoon | |
| Camera: | Casio Exilim EX-Z850 Pocket Zoom (JPG) | |
| Scene Rating: | ••••• |
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The coastline near Botallack was once an ugly industrialised zone dominated by large mines like the Levant, Geevor and Crowns. Powerful coastal engine houses enabled miners to tunnel along rich veins of ore - as far as a kilometer out under the sea. The steam-driven engines pumped water from the tunnels and drove machinery like man-pumps and winches to transport both miners and mined rock. They also powered hammers to crush the ore ready for the extraction of minerals such as tin, copper and arsenic.
The dirt and claustrophobia of undersea Cornish mining is well captured in Peter Sjöstedt Hughes's article in the Daily Mail (March 2013.) It was dark and dangerous work.
Today the headland between Pendeen and Botallack is still a little messy in places, but in other places the stone ruins have become an intrinsic part of the landscape. The two Crowns engine houses perched precariously on the craggy rocks of the headland have, in particular, become features of some of the most popular photographic memorabilia in North Cornwall. Unsurprisingly the area was also in evidence in the BBC's 2014 Poldark series, where it formed the basis for Ross Poldark's Wheal Leisure mine environment. (Other Poldark locations can be found on the BBC website, if you're interested.)
This part of the Cornish coastline is now a World Heritage Site and much is managed by the National Trust - as much for its mining heritage as for its natural beauty, although in many places the two have become inseparable. Here even our old friend the South-West Coastal Path mostly follows the old mining roads, rather than striking off on its own (q.v. the last photograph in this article.)
There is parking at the National Trust's Levant Beam Engine [free - TR19 7SX,] at ruins just past the National Trust's Botallack Counting House [satnav TR19 7QQ should get you close to it] and also at the (commercial) Geevor Tin Mine [Pendeen - TR19 7EW.] So you can make shorter walks than the one we took from those starting points if you wish. The Geevor Tin Mine has a museum and runs guided tours of the underground mine workings led by ex-miners, if you are feeling adventurous for a value-added experience.
Our bias was towards the outdoors coastline, so we opted to park the car a little further north, at the Pendeen Watch Lighthouse [TR19 7ED.] The Lighthouse complex's parking area can take about 30 cars (when people park tidily!) and, besides giving access to the mining area, it's a starting point for walks to the isolated-but-sandy Potheras Cove beach and the green finger of Greeb Point. Don't think you can visit the lighthouse itself, although some of the lighthouse keeper's dwellings seem to be available for holiday rental...
To get to the South West Coastal path to start our walk you need to go back down the road towards Pendeen village until you reach some white houses on the left. The Coastal Path takes off to the right, opposite the last of these houses.
As it descends into a gully it was a bit narrow from overgrown plants and ferns initially, but it soon opens out and gives nice views back up towards the Lighthouse.
On the day we made the walk, we only had a few hours to escape from the house and the weather was poor for photography - with thinly overcast clouds and haze flattening the light. But in good weather it should be possible to get some nice shots back towards the Pendeen Watch (although in bright sunlight the white walls of the lighthouse and wavecrests may give a few contrast problems.)
The coast here runs roughly SW to NE, so the lighthouse catches warm light as the evening sun dips. This can give warm yet dramatic shots, as the sea boils over the dark coastal rock. Martin Lowery's Levant Panorama #2 is a wide example of this.
Silhouettes of the lighthouse against the setting sun need to be taken from the other side of the lighthouse peninsula. (There's one at the end of Peter Sjöstedt Hughes's article.)
After about half a kilometer the path crosses a less attractive area. Still largely bare from the legacy of the Geevor Mine (which only closed as a working mine in 1990,) the headland remains blasted by an unintegrated mix of spoil heaps and structures used in the ore processing - including the production of arsenic, which was popular for products like pesticides and dyes in the 19th. century.
Mining remains like these (not just found here, but in many other areas such as St Agnes) have no obvious beauty, but a receptive eye will pick out beauty in the colourful runs from copper salts that have stained the rock in an almost iridescent pattern...
... or the shapes and textures of some of the old stone walls ... and even in protrusions of rusted iron anchored in the rough-cut blocks.
A walk of another 200-300 metres down the coast brings you to the National Trust's Levant Mine and Beam Engine complex, which boasts "the only Cornish beam engine anywhere in the world that is still in steam on its original mine site." The steam-driven mechanism is housed in the smaller of two old stone engine houses on the site. The larger has been left as a ruin. There is also a small black building topped with winch headgear and a proud Cornish flag.
These three buildings form an attractive group, although these are some modern sheds on the Lighthouse side which rather spoil the period "feel."
The beam engine was unused for over 60 idle years, before being restored by a dedicated group of NT volunteers, known affectionately as the "Greasy Gang." The National Trust website says that it is a "thrilling experience for young and old alike to see this old engine in action, with its evocative sounds and smells." As of 2015 adult entry for non-members was £7.00.
The best views of the Levant complex are from the South-West side looking back towards the lighthouse, although from a scenic point of view shots of the coast towards the lighthouse are probably best without it.
From a photographic point of view a walk closer to the cliffs may be more productive. The coast here features a number of sheer narrow gullies down into the sea, known locally as "zawns." (Not shown here - sorry.)
The most famous view of the Botallack-cum-St Just coastline is that of the Crowns Engine Houses. These are less than a kilometer down the South-West Coast Path from the Levant mine as the crow flies, although to get to them you have to go further South-West and descend slightly, before the a spur-path doubles back to the North-East and slowly drops down to about 30m above sea-level.
If you ignore the brick chimney, these stone buildings could easily be mistaken for ancient defensive structures, like norman towers or keeps...
... although the illusion becomes harder to sustain the closer you get.
The lower of the engine houses is on an isolated rocky promontory that drops steeply into the sea, down dark rock faces. But the hill that slopes down to the upper engine house is not so steep as to have prevented a graceful coat of waving cowslips and grasses from growing down towards the path.
A walled area next to the upper engine house forms a secure viewing platform looking towards Cape Cornwall, although after the Cape the coast bends in a more southerly direction to Sennen Cove and Land's End, so these cannot be seen from this location.
But the engine house enclosure is not the end of the path and it's well worth walking further back up the coast, from which you get an even more attractive framing of the buildings against the steep headland of the sweep towards Cape Cornwall, which is topped with other, more distant engine houses.
The axis between the two engine houses runs roughly West to East, so shots from this angle (which are far less common than shots from the South-West) may benefit from the morning light, so as to give some modelling on the dark spur of rock next to the lower engine house.
Because of time pressures and the even-more-deteriorating weather, this as far as we went - turning and following the mining roads back towards the lighthouse.
To get wider shots of the Crowns ruins and their aggressive coastal setting it would definitely be worthwhile continuing down the South-West Coastal Path at least as far as Cape Cornwall. With further time continue on to Ballowall Barrow, Port Nanven and the headland west of YHA Land's End (not sure why it's called that since we're many miles from Land's End here.)
Or to do the walk in the opposite direction go to St Just [TR19 7JU will get you to a school on Cape Cornwall Road] then turn left past the school and immediately right onto Bosorne Road. Follow this road into the country towards TR19 7NR until you reach a few houses on a small crossroads. Take the single track road left where the sign says "Cot Valley." If you ge to TR19 7NR you've gone too far!
The cot valley road eventually reaches the coast (although it's narrow and passing places are sparse,) where there is parking for a handful of cars.
Labels:
Botallack,
Cliff,
Coast,
Cornwall,
Headland,
Levant Zawn,
Lighthouse,
Rocks,
The Crowns,
Tin Mine,
View,
Walk
The dirt and claustrophobia of undersea Cornish mining is well captured in Peter Sjöstedt Hughes's article in the Daily Mail (March 2013.) It was dark and dangerous work.
Today the headland between Pendeen and Botallack is still a little messy in places, but in other places the stone ruins have become an intrinsic part of the landscape. The two Crowns engine houses perched precariously on the craggy rocks of the headland have, in particular, become features of some of the most popular photographic memorabilia in North Cornwall. Unsurprisingly the area was also in evidence in the BBC's 2014 Poldark series, where it formed the basis for Ross Poldark's Wheal Leisure mine environment. (Other Poldark locations can be found on the BBC website, if you're interested.)
This part of the Cornish coastline is now a World Heritage Site and much is managed by the National Trust - as much for its mining heritage as for its natural beauty, although in many places the two have become inseparable. Here even our old friend the South-West Coastal Path mostly follows the old mining roads, rather than striking off on its own (q.v. the last photograph in this article.)
There is parking at the National Trust's Levant Beam Engine [free - TR19 7SX,] at ruins just past the National Trust's Botallack Counting House [satnav TR19 7QQ should get you close to it] and also at the (commercial) Geevor Tin Mine [Pendeen - TR19 7EW.] So you can make shorter walks than the one we took from those starting points if you wish. The Geevor Tin Mine has a museum and runs guided tours of the underground mine workings led by ex-miners, if you are feeling adventurous for a value-added experience.
Our bias was towards the outdoors coastline, so we opted to park the car a little further north, at the Pendeen Watch Lighthouse [TR19 7ED.] The Lighthouse complex's parking area can take about 30 cars (when people park tidily!) and, besides giving access to the mining area, it's a starting point for walks to the isolated-but-sandy Potheras Cove beach and the green finger of Greeb Point. Don't think you can visit the lighthouse itself, although some of the lighthouse keeper's dwellings seem to be available for holiday rental...
To get to the South West Coastal path to start our walk you need to go back down the road towards Pendeen village until you reach some white houses on the left. The Coastal Path takes off to the right, opposite the last of these houses.
As it descends into a gully it was a bit narrow from overgrown plants and ferns initially, but it soon opens out and gives nice views back up towards the Lighthouse.
On the day we made the walk, we only had a few hours to escape from the house and the weather was poor for photography - with thinly overcast clouds and haze flattening the light. But in good weather it should be possible to get some nice shots back towards the Pendeen Watch (although in bright sunlight the white walls of the lighthouse and wavecrests may give a few contrast problems.)
The coast here runs roughly SW to NE, so the lighthouse catches warm light as the evening sun dips. This can give warm yet dramatic shots, as the sea boils over the dark coastal rock. Martin Lowery's Levant Panorama #2 is a wide example of this.
Silhouettes of the lighthouse against the setting sun need to be taken from the other side of the lighthouse peninsula. (There's one at the end of Peter Sjöstedt Hughes's article.)
After about half a kilometer the path crosses a less attractive area. Still largely bare from the legacy of the Geevor Mine (which only closed as a working mine in 1990,) the headland remains blasted by an unintegrated mix of spoil heaps and structures used in the ore processing - including the production of arsenic, which was popular for products like pesticides and dyes in the 19th. century.
Mining remains like these (not just found here, but in many other areas such as St Agnes) have no obvious beauty, but a receptive eye will pick out beauty in the colourful runs from copper salts that have stained the rock in an almost iridescent pattern...
... or the shapes and textures of some of the old stone walls ... and even in protrusions of rusted iron anchored in the rough-cut blocks.
A walk of another 200-300 metres down the coast brings you to the National Trust's Levant Mine and Beam Engine complex, which boasts "the only Cornish beam engine anywhere in the world that is still in steam on its original mine site." The steam-driven mechanism is housed in the smaller of two old stone engine houses on the site. The larger has been left as a ruin. There is also a small black building topped with winch headgear and a proud Cornish flag.
These three buildings form an attractive group, although these are some modern sheds on the Lighthouse side which rather spoil the period "feel."
The beam engine was unused for over 60 idle years, before being restored by a dedicated group of NT volunteers, known affectionately as the "Greasy Gang." The National Trust website says that it is a "thrilling experience for young and old alike to see this old engine in action, with its evocative sounds and smells." As of 2015 adult entry for non-members was £7.00.
The best views of the Levant complex are from the South-West side looking back towards the lighthouse, although from a scenic point of view shots of the coast towards the lighthouse are probably best without it.
From a photographic point of view a walk closer to the cliffs may be more productive. The coast here features a number of sheer narrow gullies down into the sea, known locally as "zawns." (Not shown here - sorry.)
The most famous view of the Botallack-cum-St Just coastline is that of the Crowns Engine Houses. These are less than a kilometer down the South-West Coast Path from the Levant mine as the crow flies, although to get to them you have to go further South-West and descend slightly, before the a spur-path doubles back to the North-East and slowly drops down to about 30m above sea-level.
If you ignore the brick chimney, these stone buildings could easily be mistaken for ancient defensive structures, like norman towers or keeps...
... although the illusion becomes harder to sustain the closer you get.
The lower of the engine houses is on an isolated rocky promontory that drops steeply into the sea, down dark rock faces. But the hill that slopes down to the upper engine house is not so steep as to have prevented a graceful coat of waving cowslips and grasses from growing down towards the path.
A walled area next to the upper engine house forms a secure viewing platform looking towards Cape Cornwall, although after the Cape the coast bends in a more southerly direction to Sennen Cove and Land's End, so these cannot be seen from this location.
But the engine house enclosure is not the end of the path and it's well worth walking further back up the coast, from which you get an even more attractive framing of the buildings against the steep headland of the sweep towards Cape Cornwall, which is topped with other, more distant engine houses.
The axis between the two engine houses runs roughly West to East, so shots from this angle (which are far less common than shots from the South-West) may benefit from the morning light, so as to give some modelling on the dark spur of rock next to the lower engine house.
Because of time pressures and the even-more-deteriorating weather, this as far as we went - turning and following the mining roads back towards the lighthouse.
To get wider shots of the Crowns ruins and their aggressive coastal setting it would definitely be worthwhile continuing down the South-West Coastal Path at least as far as Cape Cornwall. With further time continue on to Ballowall Barrow, Port Nanven and the headland west of YHA Land's End (not sure why it's called that since we're many miles from Land's End here.)
Or to do the walk in the opposite direction go to St Just [TR19 7JU will get you to a school on Cape Cornwall Road] then turn left past the school and immediately right onto Bosorne Road. Follow this road into the country towards TR19 7NR until you reach a few houses on a small crossroads. Take the single track road left where the sign says "Cot Valley." If you ge to TR19 7NR you've gone too far!
The cot valley road eventually reaches the coast (although it's narrow and passing places are sparse,) where there is parking for a handful of cars.
Labels:
Botallack,
Cliff,
Coast,
Cornwall,
Headland,
Levant Zawn,
Lighthouse,
Rocks,
The Crowns,
Tin Mine,
View,
Walk
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