History
Local Mines
Cornwall is well known for its tin mines and there were several in the Tamar Valley around Gunnislake and the Bere Peninsula where arsenic, copper, tin and silver lead were mined.
On May 2nd, 1836, the Cargreen Mining Company advertised the sale of shares for working on the Cornish side of the river in the Great Birch and Cleave Silver Lead Lodes. The Landulph Tithe Map of 1841 shows some tracks in the parish marked as Miners Roads.
The Ordnance Survey maps from the late nineteenth century show a mine chimney, engine house and shaft from The Tamar Mine on the edge of the beach between the Spaniards and Coombe. I understand that Coombe Park in Coombe Lane was the former Mine Count House.
There is a capped shaft at Penyoke and there were more mine workings near Neal Point. These mines extended under the Tamar and were trying to connect with the Silver Lead lodes found in the Bere Peninsula. However, the mine tunnels collapsed and flooded one Sunday when no one was working, and the mines were never re-opened.
The Western Morning News of January 1887 advertised an auction to be held at the Railway Hotel, Saltash of three lots at Cargreen. Lot 1 included a Cottage, Garden, Engine House and Stack in the occupation of Mr Samuel Crook. It went on to say that the Engine House and Stack contained first class building material. So no doubt these were probably demolished shortly afterwards and the stone re-used elsewhere.
The accompanying photo was taken by me around 20 years ago from the lane leading to Marsh Farm and the chimney stack of the old Wheal Sophia mine at Moditonham can be seen above the trees in the centre. This was built in 1851 along with an engine house and a shaft was sunk. But it does not appear to have been very successful as the machinery was advertised for sale in the mining journal of January 1852. The mine was re-opened a year and a half later under the name of Cornwall South Tamar but no records of any ore being extracted exist and it probably closed after a short time.
© Andrew Barrett, December 2025, All rights reserved
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History of Landulph
- Local Mines
- Kingsmill
- St Dilpe and the Celtic Foundation of Landulph Church
- Cornwall For Ever
- The Parish of Landulph
Millennium Project
- Landulph Millennium Photographic Project
- Panel a: Introduction
- Panel b: Church
- Panel c: Chapel
- Parish Millennium Map