Geevor Tin Mine Underground in the 1989s

Many people will be familiar with the Geevor Tin Mining Museum at Trewellard, near Pendeen in Cornwall. The museum started in the 1970s as an adjunct to the then operating tin mine. Later the company expanded the museum into a tour around the working processing mill.

In 1985 because of the collapse in the price of tin Geevor started to struggle. To help generate income Geevor Tin Mines plc began to offer premium underground trips into the deep mine which extended out under the Atlantic Ocean via the Victory Shaft Sub Incline.

These underground tours were unforgettable experiences and I undertook two trips one in 1986 and the other in 1989. Thought not derelict at the time of my visits the mine closed and the pumps were switched off in 1991 and all that I photographed at the 15th and 19th Levels are now well underwater.

Here is a selection of images that I took on the two of the escorted tours unlike tourist mines visitors saw a real working mine which hadn’t been beautified. Being a hard rock mine there were no dangerous gases and taking photo flash gear underground wasn’t a problem.

Photos were taken on a Contax 137 SLR with Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm f2.8 lens and TLA30 flash on Agfa CT200 film.



Victory Shaft where the gig was boarded don't think of a large cage as in a coal mine - here the shafts were narrow and the man riding gig small - more like sardines in a can than monkeys in a cage!



The man riding gig at level 15



The other side of the Victory Shaft at Level 15 note the man riding gig had decended.



Rail wagons including two used to move explosives around.



Level 15 pump room



An underhand stope accessed by a chain ladder



Geevor Mine battery locomotive #80 with the carriage used for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1980. It was being used to convey visitors on the underground tour.



Victory Shaft Sub Incline



Photograph of the man riding car used to access the under-sea workings of Levant Mine from Geevor Victory Shaft. The sub-incline shaft was officially opened in 1980 by Her Majesty The Queen.



Level 19 Pumping Chamber



Visitors on the deep mine tour awaiting the return of the man riding car on the Victory Shaft sub incline extension. The transporter wagon used for moving the narrow gauge locomotives and wagons between levels can be seen coupled to the mad riding car.



The Victory Shaft Sub Incline Extension winding engine. The driver operated the engine only using the indicator dial to just the location of the man riding car - the sub incline shaft was not visible from the winding engine chamber.

Photographs from the 1989 visit:



Battery Locomotive charging station with loco 85 on the 15th Level



A train of mineral hopper wagons on 15th Level



A working end on the 19th Level clearly showing the tin lode. It was very hot and humid in these workings away from the main ventilation. One would be in quite a cool tunnel and then step into a hot and humid atmosphere by just taking one step forward - it was a most peculiar experience!



19th Level deep under the Atlantic - Levant Mine lies beyond the fencing on the right.



Underground ore chute used to load the trams.



Drainage valves used to dewater the Levant workings (19th Level) of Geevor Mine.



Treglown Lode 19th Level

For other photographs of Geevor Mine above and below surface taken between 1979 and the 1990s please click here: http://www.jhluxton.com/The-35mm-Film-Archive/Mines-of-Cornwall-and-Devon/Geevor-Mine-Cornwall/

John

Lovely pics, Proper Job, Thanks

Fascinating, thank you.

The transition from ventilated to unventilated really makes you realise how dead air works underground.

A superb post thank you.

A picture of The Queen opening the level

Awesome especially since it was still in use even better then a derelict mine if you ask me. Nice one digging the photos for us. That chain ladder looks dodge

I found your report very interesting thank you!

I couldn't help wondering how much film you went through to get the usable ones

Nice one! Cheers fo sharing

prettyvacant71 said:

I found your report very interesting thank you!

I couldn't help wondering how much film you went through to get the usable ones

Click to expand...

Just one roll of film. As it was a guided tour I didn't want to have to faff around with changing a film. I made sure on each occasion I had a new film in the camera at the start of the trip down the mine. I did not bracket any shots basically each was a one off.

The Camera I was using at the time a Contax 137 with a dedicated TLA30 flash had pretty good through the lens flash metering. Scanning the images has given a bit more latitude to bring out a few more details from the slides.

It is a shame the deep mine is lost to flooding it would be brilliant to be able to do this again with current digital equipment and it's better low light capability.

I usually visit the area once or twice a year but have never been back to Geevor since 1995 when I did the surface tour, but by then the scrap man had removed some of the plant before the remaining stuff was preserved.

They do do some tours to the upper levels perhaps I should take a look later this year or perhaps I should continue to drive past and just remember what Geevor was like when it was a working mine?

John