Today was certainly an exciting day as we found ourselves immersed in what appeared to be a Poldark episode as we visited the Botallack Mine along the Cornish coast.
If you've seen the mini series, then some of the photos will look familiar.
When we first arrived in the car park, the weather was cloudy and gloomy and a mist was beginning to settle upon the site.
But that certainly didn't detract from the beauty.
Looking closely at this photo, you can get a feeling for the size of that smokestack compared to Marty on the left.
These mines have been here since before 1724 when it was discovered that this area of Cornwall had huge deposits of tin and copper beneath the surface. The area has been proclaimed a World Heritage Site and is under the protection of the National Trust.
There are several paths that one can walk, each a bit challenging, but we decided to make our way down the stepping stones to get a closet look at the crown engine house of the Botallack Tin Mine.
Amazingly enough, there appeared a pocket of blue sky at this point, and we could take in the outstanding beauty of the ocean waves lapping on the rocks.
The views were stunning.
We made our way back up the cliff to walk the path back to the car park.
We decided that we'd like to see what Cape Cornwell had to offer, and we could have walked it, but with the weather looking ominous, we hopped into the car and made our way to that car park.
When we arrived just 2 miles away by car, we were surprised to see bright blue skies and sunshine! We had apparently been in a pocket of fog, but that burned off in this location, much to our delight!
The walk to the monument was a bit of a challenge.
But we made it to the top!
We were surrounded by beauty!
After hiking up and down quite a few strenuous hills, we decided that it was time for a bit of a break. But, this National Trust Site didn't have a working cafe, so I asked the parking attendant, Annie, if she could direct us to some place where we could get a bite to eat.
Well, her enthusiasm should have won her an award! She was SO excited to divulge the pleasures of St. Just, just a mile drive up the road, and she gave us her secret free parking places in addition to a couple of eatery suggestions. She was a delight! It was quite obvious that she loved her job greeting patrons, and offering a hearty "Cheerio"! when they left. I told Marty that I'm pretty sure my conversation with her was the highlight of my day!
We had no difficulty finding the village, and a parking spot magically opened up for us so we decided to stop into the Moomaid for a cream tea. (Don't you love the name?)
It was delectable!
And, you can see that the weather had really warmed up to the point where a coat or a sweater just wasn't needed.
Refueled, we headed to Levant Mine which connects with Botallack mine and has the same protections. Back when they were first built, each mine had a different owner so they were mined independently. But the end result was the same: tin, copper and arsenic.
If you're a bit surprised by the arsenic, I can tell you that I was as well. Apparently it is a byproduct of mining tin, and at first, it was removed by hand with the arsenic stone being disposed of elsewhere.
But, soon someone realized that heating the arsenic changed it to a gaseous state, which, when cooled, formed crystals in the chimney. It was then collected to be used in pesticides and paints.
I do shudder to think of the exposure that these workers endured while working with the arsenic. I read that there bodies were covered in clay to protect their skin while working. Not a fun job by any means!
Here are some views around the Levant Mine.
And this is an arsenic chimney.
We had signed up for the personal tour where one of the guides took us through several buildings and explained the processes involved with mining tin.
I was surprised to hear that the actual mines extend a mile and a half under the ocean with only 27 feet above the mine to the ocean floor. A lot of dynamite was used to make those mines.
As part of our tour, we were able to see one of the engine wheels that was used while the mine was still in operation. Then, we were taken down into a mine shaft to get an idea of what it looked like underground. This one had lights. Men who worked there had candles on their hats with no other source of light.
The tour had lasted 90 minutes, and we certainly left with a whole new knowledge of this special protected site and the history behind it all.
Afterwards, we took a quick walk to get a view of the lighthouse.
We headed back to Penzance to our B&B, then set out on foot to a local restaurant, passing through a lovely park. I still can't get over the large amount of palms trees here in this area.
The area is very cute, and I stopped to take a photo of this mural.
I found it to be very clever and it certainly brightened up the alley way!
Dinner was at the oldest pub in Penzance: The Turks Head.
And that was equally entertaining! With a name like that, how could it not be?
Until tomorrow....
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