The History of Wheal Coates....the mine you pass on the way to Chapel Porth

November 15. 2025

🛠️ The History of Wheal Coates Mine

Wheal Coates is a former tin (and some copper) mine perched dramatically on the cliffs between St Agnes and Porthtowan on Cornwall’s north coast.
Mining activity in the area goes way back: there are records of mining around the site from 1692.
The “modern” Wheal Coates mine officially opened in 1802, although significant production didn’t ramp up immediately.

Around 1872, the mine underwent a major revival. Key infrastructure was built then: three engine houses — for pumping, winding, and stamping — were erected to support deep mining operations.
The Towanroath Shaft (pumping engine house) was especially important: it housed a steam engine designed to pump water out of deep underground workings — some of which extended under the sea.
The “whim” and stamps engine houses (used for lifting ore and crushing it) date from the same period.
By the mid-to-late 19th century, at its peak, the mine employed around 138 workers.

Wheal Coates was always a difficult mine to operate: one of its biggest problems was flooding, especially because some of its workings went under the sea.
Despite the big investment in steam power, profitability was erratic. The mine closed in 1889, largely due to falling tin prices and operational costs.
A brief revival came between 1911 and 1914, when new technology was tried:
- A calciner furnace was added to roast ore and remove impurities (like arsenic).
- Gas engines powered a California crusher for better ore processing.
This final effort ultimately failed; the mine shut for good in March 1914.

Working conditions were brutal. According to the National Trust, miners faced:
- Poor air quality (dust, “powder smoke”)
- High risk of accidents (falls, drowning, explosions)
- Long-term illnesses like bronchitis and silicosis.
Women, known as bal maidens, worked on the surface crushing ore. Children also worked in the mines — by age 12, some were working underground.

Today, Wheal Coates is maintained by the National Trust, which consolidated many of the cliff-top structures.
The most iconic building is the Towanroath engine house, with its tall chimney — a symbol of Cornwall’s mining landscape.
Other surviving structures: the whim engine houses, the stamping house, and the calciner furnace from the early 1900s.
The mine is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For visitors: there’s a National Trust walk around the site (about 1.6 km) that takes in ruins, coast views, and the old shafts.

It’s one of the most photographed and evocative mine ruins in Cornwall — the cliff-top engine houses make for dramatic, almost theatrical scenery.
It’s a testament to the industrial ambition of the 19th century: deep-sea mining, steam power, and heavy investment… even in a very challenging environment.
The site also highlights the human cost of mining: dangerous working conditions, health risks, and a hard life for miners and their families.
As part of a World Heritage Site, Wheal Coates helps connect modern visitors to the global legacy of Cornish mining — and to the Cornish people whose expertise spread mining technology around the world.

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