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This valley to the north of St Just shows plenty of evidence of mining activity in the past. The photograph was taken from the coast path, outside the western edge of the grid square.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.2km north<br/>Near to Kenidjack Farm.
©David Medcalf
Dist:0.3km north<br/>
©Rod Allday
Dist:0.3km north<br/>Here, just to the south of Botallack village, are a few houses and a farm at a minor road junction.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.4km north<br/>
©Row17
Dist:0.4km north<br/>In the distance , in square [[SW3633]], can be seen, from left to right: the headframe on Allen's Shaft [[1359257]], the arsenic calciner chimney stack [[490315]] and Botallack Count House [[964482]].
©Rod Allday
Dist:0.4km north<br/>Botallack village is set on quiet back lanes as the main road passes the village to the south east.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.5km north<br/>Looking through the engine house known as Wheal Edward Stamps to Cargodna pumping house.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.5km north<br/>View of Wheal Owles across to Botallack Mine and Botallack Head.
©Derek Hawkins
Dist:0.5km north<br/>A panorama of the mining history of this area - from the left: the modern headgear (never used) at Allen's Shaft [[1359257]], the chimnney of the arsenic calciner at Botallack [[490315]] and Botallack Count House [[964482]] - all in square [[SW3633]] and in this square: Wheal Edward stamps engine house [[491312]] and on the right, Wheal Owles pumping engine house [[3964]].
©Rod Allday
Dist:0.5km north<br/>
©Rod Allday
Dist:0.5km north<br/>In 1893 a short burial service was held near this place for the 20 miners who were drowned when Wheal Owles mine was inundated by water early in January that year. One of the enduring fears of mining communities the world over is of having the bodies of men killed underground left down the mine yet that is exactly what happened here. At the time of the disaster 41 men and boys were underground and the mine workings filled with a ferocious speed, from the 120 fathom sump to sea level at 30 fathoms in twenty minutes. A complete section of rock separating the mine workings from old water-filled workings had collapsed. There had been previous smaller incidents of holing through to old workings at Wheal Owles and the mine agents were aware that the surveying which told them the position of the old workings was less accurate than it might have been. After the disaster it was discovered that there was insufficient pumping power at the mine to drain the workings and recover the bodies. To install a sufficiently large pumping engine would have cost the mine £4,000 which was more than the investors were prepared to pay. A disaster fund for the dependants was started and reached £3,295. Some of the victims relatives threatened legal action against the mine but most were dissuaded. One who went through with it was awarded £25. Wheal Owles itself closed, never to reopen. The mine by this time was a shadow of its former self with most of the older workings inland having been already closed. The engine house on the right of the photo is Wheal Edwards Stamps which used to house the engine to power the ore crushing machinery (stamps) At the centre is the remains of the West Wheal Owles whim (winding) engine house. The Cargodna pumping engine house is out of shot to the right. The other side of the granite block in the foreground has a plaque which carries the names of those who died in the disaster.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.5km north<br/>This engine house used to contain the engine which powered ore crushing machinery known as 'stamps'.
©Tony Atkin
Dist:0.5km north<br/>
©Row17
Dist:0.5km north<br/>The brown vegetation in the foreground is dead Japanese Knotweed which has been cut down and treated with weedkiller.
©Tony Atkin

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