TREWAVAS HEAD

I just had to include this headland in my blog, because it bears the same name as a number of my ancestors; Trewavas is my grandmother’s maiden name. There is also a ruined mine at this location called Wheal Trewavas, one of many such mines dotted along the Cornish coast, which, in their ruined state and romantic clifftop locations, provide one of the most evocative images of this part of the British coast. In fact, the whole mining landscape of Cornwall and West Devon is listed as a World Heritage Site. Cornwall is most famous for its tin mines, but this particular mine was a copper mine. It was only open for 12 years, from 1834 to 1846, but during that time it produced over £100,000-worth of copper ore. There is another mine nearby called Wheal Prosper, which produced copper and tin. The shafts from these clifftop Cornish mines often went some distance out under the sea bed. Anyone wanting to visit them should exercise caution. However tempting it may be to clamber over the remaining brickwork, there are often hidden dangers. In the case of Trewavas, the National Trust recently stepped in and carried out extensive work to repair and protect the mine.

Map of the area.

Trewavas Mine - geograph.org.uk - 31494. Photo by Tony Atkin, via Wikimedia Commons.