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South Crofty

Coordinates: 50°13′22″N 5°16′29″W / 50.2227°N 5.2746°W / 50.2227; -5.2746
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South Crofty
New Cooks Kitchen Shaft
Location
South Crofty is located in Cornwall
South Crofty
South Crofty
Location in Cornwall
LocationPool
CountyCornwall
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates50°13′22″N 5°16′29″W / 50.2227°N 5.2746°W / 50.2227; -5.2746
Production
ProductsTin, copper
History
Opened16th century
Closed1998
Owner
CompanyCornish Metals Inc

South Crofty is a metalliferous tin and copper mine located in the village of Pool, Cornwall, England. An ancient mine, it has seen production for over 400 years, and extends almost two and a half miles across and 3,000 feet (910 m) down and has mined over 40 lodes. Evidence of mining activity in South Crofty has been dated back to 1592, with full-scale mining beginning in the mid-17th century. The mine went into serious decline after 1985 and eventually closed in 1998. After several changes of ownership, South Crofty is owned by Cornish Metals Inc, which is working to re-open the mine, as of November 2022,[1] having received a permit for dewatering the mine.[2]

History

[edit]

South Crofty Mine, at Pool between Camborne and Redruth, is an ancient tin mine. For several centuries its shallow workings exploited copper rather than the deeper tin mineralisation. References implying mining, rather than streaming, occur in the area as early as 1592, and clearly by the mid-17th century mining was well established. During this period part of the mine which today is known as South Crofty was then called Penhellick Vean. The first really significant developments came in 1710 when Francis Bassett obtained a lease of Penhellick Vean and a drainage adit was begun. Over the next twenty years these shallow workings (less than 40 metres or 130 feet deep) produced copper of great value and made the fortune of the Bassett family. Following the opening of the numerous copper mines on Anglesey, which occurred in the 1770-1780 period, most of the mines around South Crofty closed down.

19th century

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By 1822, copper ore was being raised at a new mine in the area, East Wheal Crofty, which by 1833 included Penhellick Vean. Mining depths were now 80 metres (260 ft) or more, and throughout the 1830s a substantial investment was undertaken to improve the mine including a rail link; so much that by 1842 East Wheal Crofty was regarded as a 'model' mine. This state of affairs did not last however, and by 1863 part of the property was for sale. The remainder of the mine, now at least 210 metres (690 ft) deep, was renamed South Wheal Crofty which, with the deletion of 'Wheal', has been the name ever since.[3]

The mine now faced one of its most far-reaching changes. In the 1860s, South Wheal Crofty was still almost entirely a copper mine but by 1873, after a substantial investment in new dressing machinery, the mine was - financially at least - dependent upon tin. Copper remained significant until 1880, when shallow reserves were exhausted. The mine was now operating at the 260-fathom (1,560 ft; 480 m) level, where only tin was found. The collapse of the tin price affected South Wheal Crofty both directly (loss of revenue) and indirectly, via increased pumping costs as neighbouring mines closed down. In February 1896 mining was suspended and the mine flooded.

In 1899, further backing was obtained and South Crofty gradually reopened, and acquired the adjacent New Cooks Kitchen mine. Improvements were made in the mine and the deepening of Robinsons Shaft commenced in 1903. The mine returned to profit and in 1906 a new era began, with the incorporation of South Crofty Limited.

20th century

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Old and New Cook's Kitchen Shafts headgear, 2007 photo
Chalcopyrite mineralization, from Cook's Kitchen Mine, Carn Brea and Tincroft United Mine

By 1908, the Robinsons Shaft had been sunk to the 205-fathom (1,230 ft; 375 m) level and work had begun on a second new shaft at New Cooks Kitchen. Increasing use was made of rock drills and, by 1910, the mine operated profitably hoisting 60,000 tons of ore annually. By 1914, the works were down to 310 fathoms (1,860 ft; 570 m).[4]

For the next 70 years South Crofty continued to modernise and expand. As nearby mines closed, they were acquired by South Crofty to supplement its ore reserves at depth. The major purchase was of Dolcoath mine in 1936. Ore production, which had not exceeded 75,000 tons a year since 1906, was increased to 92,000 tons in 1959 following improvements in both mine and mill. Production exceeded 100,000 tons in 1968 for the first time.

Black tin production was steady at between 500 and 800 tons a year from 1907 to 1956, excluding a break in production during the tin price slump of the early 1920s. Wolframite and arsenic was also produced at the mine, the former accounting for around 50 tons to 150 tons between 1907 and 1956, and the latter between 500 tons and 1000 tons between 1907 and 1919, declining to 100 tons by 1956.[5]

In 1967, South Crofty Ltd became a wholly owned subsidiary of Siamese Tin Syndicate Ltd and Siamese Tin's subsidiary, St Piran Ltd. This change of ownership was the start, in 1969, of a £1 million programme to increase ore hoisting capacity and to make substantial improvements to the mill. By 1975 the mill was processing more than 200,000 tonnes of ore (including some from Pendarves mine) to yield around 1,500 tonnes of tin concentrate.

In mid-1982, the company was acquired from St Piran by Charter Consolidated, which subsequently disposed of 40% of its holdings to Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ). These holdings were vested in a new holding company, Wheal Crofty Holdings Ltd, with the same balance of ownership. Then in 1984 RTZ acquired Charter's 60% interest and South Crofty became part of Carnon Consolidated Ltd.

In October 1985, the price of tin dropped dramatically on the world markets following the collapse of the International Tin Agreement. Carnon rationalised the operations, involving closure of the Pendarves mine which had supplied ore to the South Crofty mill. With a diminishing ore supply, this mill was progressively shut and by 1988 all South Crofty ore was trucked for processing at Wheal Jane.

Robinson's 80" engine, South Crofty Mine
Robinson's Shaft, South Crofty

As well as a reduction in manpower, the mines were rationalised and a programme of modernisation, started by RTZ before the price crash, was stepped up. This was made possible by the co-operation and financial support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the form of loans for the capital improvement. The majority of this capital was put into the South Crofty mine. In addition, RTZ also provided a loan to fund the operating losses.

Carnon became privately owned in June 1988 when the business and assets of the group were purchased from RTZ through a management buy-out. A trust was established for the benefit of the employees who received twenty per cent of the equity. Carnon Holdings Limited, was incorporated at this time.

In February 1991 the DTI stopped support of capital projects. The company substantially reduced labour costs which coupled with a small rise in the tin price allowed the mine to continue operating at a small loss. The losses were funded through the sale of surplus land and redundant assets.[citation needed] The mine produced about 1,900 tons of black tin in 1993 which was shipped to a smelter in Malaysia. In 1994 South Crofty was purchased by Crew Natural Resources of Canada; at this time the mines' identified and inferred reserves were expected to allow it to continue working for at least ten years.[6] The New Roskear shaft took over from the Robinson Shaft as the secondary access shaft of access.[citation needed]

However, after several more years of depressed tin prices, South Crofty Ltd announced in August 1997 that closure was imminent, and after further attempts at the time to keep the mine open, closure was completed by March 1998.

21st century

[edit]

In March 2001, a new locally formed company named Baseresult Holdings Ltd. bought the mine with the stated aim of re-opening it.[7] In the same year the company started refurbishment of the New Cooks Kitchen section of the mine. By 2003 an underground refurbishment of the Tuckingmill Decline and Old Engine shaft was under way, and later that year access was mined into New Cooks Kitchen Deep Adit level from the Tuckingmill Decline. The refurbishment of the New Cooks Kitchen section was completed in October 2003 and opened to the public for tours.[citation needed]

In 2004, mining commenced at the 10-fathom (60 ft; 18 m)[citation needed] level drilling a crosscut north from the Tuckingmill Decline to New Cooks Kitchen Shaft. In 2006, equipment from the dormant Wheal Jane processing plant was purchased, and although some of this was outdated, it was planned that some elements would be refurbished at South Crofty to be used in the new mill adjacent to the decline entrance.[citation needed]

Local support for the mine was mixed, although nearly 2,000 people attended an Open Day in support of the mine on 8 July 2006. However others, including local councillor and former miner Mark Kaczmarek, believed that it was time to redevelop the site. A local regeneration company, CPR Regeneration, set up in 2001, actively opposed the reopening of the mine. CPR wished to develop the South Crofty site, initially for a leisure centre, but latterly for a housing and business park. In 2003, 2006, and 2007 CPR threatened Baseresult with a Compulsory Purchase Order of the site.[citation needed]

South Crofty cited the reason for delays in re-commencing mining as the repeated demand by Cornwall Council for Review of Mineral Planning Permissions (ROMPs), which the Council first requested in 2002. After three further reviews submitted by Baseresult in 2002, 2004 and 2005, the Council finally granted permission for the mine in September 2006. One month later CPR Regeneration announced that they would be applying for a Compulsory Purchase Order, and published plans for a multimillion-pound development of 150 acres (0.61 km2) including the South Crofty site.[citation needed] However, by March 2012, CPR Regeneration had ceased operational activity.[8]

In November 2007, a new company named Western United Mines Limited was formed to own and operate the mine. The previous owner of the mine, Baseresult Holdings Ltd. was the majority shareholder of the new company alongside Casserite LP, an investment vehicle acting for Galena Asset Management, a subsidiary of commodity trading company Trafigura. By this time the mine was employing 26 people and total capital investment to re-open the mine was forecast to reach £9 million by June 2008, with the anticipation of its reopening at the end of 2009 after further investment of £50 million. The owners of the mine stated that it had the "potential for a mining life of eighty years".[9][10]

On 28 November 2007, the owners of the mine successfully challenged the regeneration plan developed by Kerrier District Council for the area around the surface workings. Crofty Developments Ltd., a partner of Western United Mines appealed to the High Court on the basis that it had not been involved in the consultation process.[11]

The price of tin increased from below $4,000/tonne in 2002 to over $17,000/tonne in March 2010,[12] and the economic viability of the South Crofty mine, with identified and inferred reserves of about 50,000 tonnes of tin (in 1994[6]) had improved considerably.

In May 2011, a Canadian company, Celeste Copper Corporation,[13] entered into an earn-in agreement to acquire up to a 100% interest of the property and assets of the mine.[14]

By 2012, the area covered by South Crofty extended over the setts of some 34 former mines,[15] and Celeste Copper Corporation estimated that there were about 7.95 million tonnes of tin in the mine, valued at £1.5 billion ($2.4 billion). The company said it planned to start pumping out the shallower workings in the Dolcoath section in 2013 at a cost of £2.6 million.[16] However, in November 2012, UNESCO called for a halt on work to reopen the mine until "an assessment had been made of the project's impact" because it said it had not been consulted before planning consent was granted in 2011. South Crofty is located within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape which had been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006.[17]

In June 2013 the South Crofty site was placed into administration.[18]

In October 2015 a local newspaper again raised the idea that the mine could be reopened.[19]

In March 2016 it was revealed that the Canadian company Strongbow Exploration had acquired, from administration, a 100% interest in the South Crofty Tin Project and associated mineral rights in Cornwall.[20]

In April 2017 Strongbow announced that it has filed an NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the South Crofty mine.[21]

In October 2017, following successful water treatment trials, Strongbow announced that it had received a dewatering permit from the UK Environment Agency allowing the discharge of up to 25,000 cubic metres of treated water per day into the Red River. The granting of this permit means South Crofty is fully permitted to work towards a production decision.[2] By early 2018 the funding was in place for the construction of a water treatment plant with work commencing that spring.[22] Test drilling commenced in June 2020,[23] and the next month Strongbow was renamed as Cornish Metals Inc.[1]

Cornish Wrestling

[edit]

Cornish wrestling tournaments were held at South Crofty Mine for prizes.[24]

Mineral Statistics

[edit]

From Robert Hunt's Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom.[25]

Tin Production (1855-1996)
Year(s) Black (Tons) Value (£)
1855 1.90 87.60
1856 0.30 16.00
1857 0.80 56.60
1858 4.10 226.20
1859 .. 204.80
1860 1.70 107.30
1861 0.80 47.60
1862 1.90 93.80
1863 1.70 282.50
1864 1.30 904.30
1865 2.30 1,008.40
1866 1.00 227.70
1867 5.60 755.60
1868 4.80 1,179.00
1869 7.40 2,056.20
1870 10.70 3,144.40
1871 18.00 6,471.60
1872 63.60 7,030.50
1873 207.00 14,188.80
1874 180.30 8,624.80
1875 163.40 7,182.60
1876 144.20 5,397.30
1877 136.60 1,070.40
1878 173.50 6,120.00
1879 1.20 1,346.00
1880 .. 1,138.00
1881 117.70 6,076.00
1882 120.30 6,977.00
1883 154.40 7,505.00
1884 169.60 7,143.00
1885 91.80 4,073.00
1886 99.00 5,402.00
1887 125.30 7,967.00
1888 125.50 8,248.00
1889 122.10 6,673.00
1890 147.40 8,152.00
1891 184.80 9,900.00
1892 203.10 11,107.00
1893 258.80 13,313.00
1894 307.00 13,148.00
1895 251.00 10,001.00
1896 34.00 1,083.00
1898 .. 72.00
1899 .. 142.00
1900 4.20 306.00
1901 158.40 10,758.00
1902 296.00 21,831.00
1903 348.60 27,341.00
1904 275.30 20,272.00
1905 291.40 22,397.00
1906 153.80 14,606.00
1907 228.50 22,530.00
1908 434.10 33,554.00
1908 432.00 ..
1909 682.80 52,421.00
1909 696.00 ..
1910 631.50 56,619.00
1910 630.00 ..
1911 677.60 76,234.00
1911 677.00 ..
1912 624.80 81,562.00
1912 628.00 ..
1913 629.40 78,612.00
1913 633.00 ..
1914 581.90 53,045.00
1914 644.00 ..
1915 690.40 64,884.00
1915 628.00 ..
1916 696.50 63,325.00
1916 607.00 ..
1917 695.10 83,781.00
1917 610.00 ..
1918 625.15 114,092.00
1918 581.00 ..
1919 546.00 77,724.00
1919 546.00 ..
1920 589.00 ..
1923 406.00 ..
1924 669.00 ..
1925 746.00 ..
1926 694.00 ..
1927 808.00 ..
1928 795.00 ..
1929 795.00 ..
1930 670.00 ..
1931 113.00 ..
1932 645.00 ..
1933 645.00 ..
1934 643.00 ..
1935 673.00 ..
1936 677.00 ..
1937-1938 no-details ..
1940 no-details ..
1941 728.00 ..
1942 633.00 ..
1944 711.00 ..
1945 no-details ..
1948 no-details ..
1950 no-details ..
1961-1969 no-details ..
1970 1,110.00 ..
1971 1,195.00 ..
1972 1,571.00 ..
1974 954.00 ..
1975 1,424.00 ..
1976 2,200.00 ..
1977 1,553.00 ..
1978 1,536.00 ..
1980 no-details ..
1983 1,308.00 ..
1984 1,817.00 ..
1985 no-details ..
1992 2,044.30 ..
1993 2,235.50 ..
1994 1,918.70 ..
1995 2,304.00 ..
1996 2,255.00 .
Employment (1878-1996)
Year(s) Total Overground Underground
1878 202 113 89
1879 65 23 42
1880 97 45 52
1881 122 55 67
1882 149 69 80
1883 163 71 92
1884 160 76 84
1885 101 49 52
1886 122 66 56
1887 142 68 74
1888 131 64 67
1889 127 62 65
1890 134 61 73
1891 145 64 81
1892 170 74 96
1893 223 81 142
1894 200 75 125
1895 156 68 88
1896 13 6 7
1897 14 7 7
1898 3 3 ..
1899 5 4 1
1900 73 48 25
1901 183 90 93
1902 226 97 129
1903 289 126 163
1904 312 123 189
1905 290 118 172
1906 322 144 178
1907 476 222 254
1908 510 240 270
1909 567 240 327
1910 553 221 332
1911 583 207 376
1912 622 242 380
1913 620 245 375
1914 592 .. ..
1914 594 241 353
1915 548 .. ..
1915 548 227 321
1916 525 .. ..
1916 527 229 298
1917 519 .. ..
1917 511 218 293
1918 464 215 249
1918 464 215 249
1919 482 230 252
1919 482 226 256
1920 471 226 245
1921 109 64 45
1922 144 105 39
1923 336 171 165
1924 439 217 222
1925 446 222 224
1926 440 213 227
1927 442 207 235
1928 456 207 249
1929 454 207 247
1930 340 170 170
1931 113 69 44
1932 275 144 131
1933 296 151 145
1934 337 163 174
1935 369 172 197
1936 385 176 209
1937 410 191 219
1938 433 194 239
1940 392 193 199
1941 345 196 149
1942 371 189 182
1943 427 198 229
1944 438 207 231
1945 403 221 182
1948 331 209 122
1950 331 209 122
1975 601 .. ..
1976 677 .. ..
1977 697 .. ..
1978 677 .. ..
1979 677 .. ..
1980 608 .. ..
1981 624 .. ..
1982 590 .. ..
1992 212 .. ..
1993 244 .. ..
1994 275 .. ..
1995 324 .. ..
1996 270 .. ..

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ a b "Cornish Metals – new name for new mining hopes". Cornish Stuff. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Strongbow's South Crofty Receives Water Discharge Permit British Tin Project Fully Permitted for Production Decision". Globenewswire.com (Press release). 23 October 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  3. ^ For information on the mines known as East, North and South Wheal Crofty in the 19th century, see T. A. Morrison, Cornwall's Central Mines. The Northern District, 1810-1895 (Penzance: Alison Hodge, 1980), pp. 256-284.
  4. ^ Barton, D. B. (1963) The Mines of West Cornwall, 52 pp.
  5. ^ Dines, H. G. (1956) The Metalliferous Mining Region of South-West England, 326 pp.
  6. ^ a b "USGS Tin Mineral Yearbook 1994" (PDF). Minerals.usgs.gov. p. 6. Retrieved 14 August 2019. Reserve statement
  7. ^ Crace, John (13 February 2008). "Tensions over Cornish tin mine's reopening". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  8. ^ "CPR Regeneration: regenerating Camborne, Pool and Redruth in Cornwall". Cprregeneration.co.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  9. ^ "NEW MINING COMPANY IS FORMED". South Crofty website. 2 November 2007. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2012. (archived )
  10. ^ Tin mine aims to re-open in 2009: BBC News website. Retrieved 2007-11-02
  11. ^ "Council faces £100,000 write-off". News.bbc.co.uk. 28 November 2007.
  12. ^ London Metal Exchange Cash Price, LME Price graph for tin Archived 2007-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Celeste Copper Corporation is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Calgary, Canada. In November 2012 the company changed its name to Celeste Mining Corp.: "Celeste Copper Announces Name Change to Celeste Mining" (PDF). 29 November 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Updated Dolcoath Resource Estimation South Crofty Mine" (PDF). Celeste Copper Corporation. p. 17. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  15. ^ "South Crofty Mine". Western United Mines Limited. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  16. ^ "South Crofty tin valued at '£1.5bn'". BBC News – Cornwall. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Unesco calls for South Crofty mining halt". BBC News. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  18. ^ "South Crofty tin mine goes into administration". BBC News. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  19. ^ "Hopes high that tin mining could resume at South Crofty | Western Morning News". www.westernmorningnews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  20. ^ Inc, Strongbow Exploration (17 March 2016). "Strongbow to Acquire the South Crofty Tin Project, Cornwall, UK". GlobeNewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 14 August 2019. {{cite press release}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ Inc, Strongbow Exploration (3 April 2017). "Strongbow Files South Crofty Tin Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and PEA on SEDAR". GlobeNewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 14 August 2019. {{cite press release}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ Strongbow Exploration Inc. (29 January 2018). "STRONGBOW ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF $7.17 MILLION NOTE FINANCING FROM, AND GRANT OF ROYALTY OPTION TO, OSISKO GOLD ROYALTIES" (PDF). Cornish Metals.
  23. ^ "Strongbow starts drilling at South Crofty". Cornish Stuff. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  24. ^ The Cornish Telegraph, 22 August 1907.
  25. ^ Burt, Roger; Burnley, Ray; Gill, Michael; Neill, Alasdair (2014). Mining in Cornwall and Devon: Mines and Men. University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-889-8.
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