Wheal Trewavas, mine in Cornwall, UK
Wheal Trewavas is a copper mine located on steep cliffs in Breage, overlooking Mount's Bay. The site has two large stone engine houses built on the cliff edge, which supported shafts that reached down through four copper veins and one tin vein running beneath the sea.
The mine started operations in 1834 and closed unexpectedly in 1846 after just twelve years. During its short life, it employed roughly 160 workers and produced significant copper yields before it was flooded, possibly due to financial troubles or disputes over payments owed to the Duchy of Cornwall.
The name "Wheal" comes from Cornish and means "mine". The site shows how deeply mining work was tied to local life, with many community stories passed down about the men and women who worked here under difficult conditions.
The site is easiest to reach from the Rinsey Head car park, from which a coastal path leads to the ruins. Wear sturdy shoes, stay on marked paths, keep children close, and keep dogs on a lead, as the old tunnels and structures pose safety hazards.
There is a striking story about a planned dinner beneath the sea: as workers prepared a meal in a tunnel under the bay, water began seeping through the roof and they fled quickly. Shortly after, the sea broke through the tunnel and destroyed it, ending the dream of dining underground.
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