WEDNESDAY: CORNISH CREAM TEA & HISTORIC MINE TRIP

The scenic coach drive will take us past Marazion and St. Michael’s Mount, and on to Penzance and the old mining village of St. Just. From there we will stop at Botallack to view the iconic Crowns Engine houses perched precariously down the steep cliff (see photo below).

This is the area of Cornwall’s submarine mines, which worked mineral lodes over a mile out to sea. (Barry has written an interesting post on this in his Blog). It is also an area of outstanding natural beauty, being chosen for much of the filming of the BBC’s Poldark series.

A short walk on the cliff-top will take us past the remains of the mineral dressing floors, and the arsenic calciners to the ruined engine house of Wheal Owles, the fictional Wheal Leisure in the Poldark series.

From Botallack a short drive will take us to the most infamous submarine mine, Levant, where the man-engine disaster of 1919 claimed 31 lives. We will stop by the ruin of the miners ‘dry’ and the tunnel which led down to the man-engine, and Barry Wills will explain what happened on that fateful day.

Time: TBA
Cost: Included in registration fee
Book: No need to book
Accompanying guests: are welcome to join us at no cost
Dress code: Sensible shoes for rough ground, wrap up warm and bring a waterproof just in case.