Wheal Prosper Engine House

Wheal Prosper Engine House is a three-story stone building standing near Rinsey Head with views over Mount's Bay, featuring granite corners and a brick chimney stack above. The structure represents a typical mining engine house design, built to house the machinery that powered mining operations in this area.

The engine house was built to support mining operations that began in the mid-1800s, serving as a critical facility for extracting tin and copper from beneath the ground. The site was eventually taken over by the National Trust in the late 1960s to preserve it as an example of industrial heritage.

This structure reflects how mining shaped the landscape and economy of Cornwall, serving as a reminder of the people who worked in these operations. Walking around it, you can understand the importance of such buildings in the communities that depended on this industry.

The site sits in a rural area of Cornwall and can be reached on foot or by car, with parking available nearby. The building is accessible for viewing from the outside, and you should wear sturdy shoes since the ground is uneven and can be muddy depending on recent weather.

The building housed a large steam pump designed specifically to remove water from deep mining shafts, a challenge that required sophisticated engineering for the time. This technology allowed miners to reach deeper deposits and work in otherwise flooded underground conditions.