King Edward Mine

Grenville United South Condurrow Mine

Useful Information

Location:	At Troon just South of Camborne.
Open:	MAY to JUN Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10-17, last entry 16. JUL Mon, Wed-Sun 10-17, last entry 16. AUG daily 10-17, last entry 16. SEP Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10-17, last entry 16. [2008]
Fee:	Adults GBP 4.50, Children (5-16) GBP 1, Children (0-4) free. [2008]
Classification:	Tin Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	King Edward Mine, Troon, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 9HU, Tel: +44-1209-614681, +44-1209-210900. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1890	South Condurrow Mine closed.
1897	taken over by Camborne School of Mines as training mine and renamed King Edward mine.
1901	renamed King Edward Mine.
1914	operations suspended because of World War I.
1920	reopened.
1921	flooded when Grenville United closed.
1974	part of the site sub-leased from CSM and reconstructed to working order by the Trewithick Trust.
1987	volunteer group formed to conserve the site as an educational resource.
2002	museum and surface installations opened to the public.

Geology

Description

King Edward Mine is the most complete set of mine buildings from the 1900 period. Sheet metal and wooden buildings contain a tin dressing plant including the last working Californian Stamps in Britain, driven by a horizontal engine. Also there are working examples of round frames, rag frames and a Cornish buddle.

There is a small museum located in the old mill engine room and a lecture theatre showing a film of the plant working. Currently underground access is not available. But there are guided tours through the restored tin processing plant. Some items of the machinery can be seen working. There is a Mineral Tramways exhibition can be seen in the old calciner.

The site is used by the Camborne School of Mines (CSM) as experimental mine for its students. When the King Edward Mine was flooded in 1921, the Camborne School of Mines moved their underground training to Great Condurrow mine nearby. This mine is only a few hundred yards up the hill and it is hoped to run quality underground visits there some time in the future.

During the Covid lockdown the volunteers overhauled machinery and some now operable for the first time. A new space has been made to display materials from Holman’s Engineering, a Camborne company which produced many items for mining. The survey office was outfitted with retro lighting and is almost in the same state it was built in 1897. An exhibition of surveying instruments and equipment was added. The blacksmith’s forge was restored and is now in a working state, in the future it will be operated by a blacksmith on special occasions. The Croust Hut, which is used as a cafe, was improved and offers snacks, lunch, and coffee.