Cathedral Mine, Busveal, St Day, Cornwall, England, UKi

Regional Level Types
Cathedral Mine	Mine (Abandoned)
Busveal	Village
St Day	Civil Parish
Cornwall	County
England	Constituent Country
UK	Country

A small copper mine, started under the name Jengenter Mine and renamed Cathedral Mine in 1823. It worked two NE-trending lodes near the centre of Carn Marth which are cut by several cross-courses.

Originally, the mining industry around St Day revolved around the extraction of tin in the 1500 and 1600s, but latterly in the 18th century it was copper seams in the area which were being exploited, with the area reaching maximum production in the early 1800s. At the time this area with its many mines was referred to as the 'richest square mile to be found anywhere on earth'. As well as houses both large and small, this boom time occasioned the building of many shops and services, some of which can still be seen in the village today. The hustle and bustle of a thriving village has now very much quietened since the industry died out. Nowadays, and it is more the rich historical value of its outlying area that is of interest.

In a neighbouring hamlet of Busveal is the famous Gwennap Pit. This deep, and now terraced, natural indentation in the ground became an amphitheatre around the time of the 'Copper Kingdom' in 1762 for Methodist preaching. Cathedral Mine is close to Gwennap Pit, lying on the northern edge of Carn Marth granite hill about 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of Redruth, and was mainly a copper mine. Cathedral mine is known to have been worked in 1827 and produced copper until 1842. The mine closed, but reopened in 1866. The mine was subsequently purchased in 1878 from the Stannaries Court* by the New Cathedral Copper and Tin Mining Company Limited.

*The stannary law (derived from the Latin ‘stannum’ for tin) is the body of English law that governs tin mining in Devon and Cornwall; although no longer of much practical relevance, the stannary law remains part of the law of the United Kingdom and is arguably the oldest law incorporated into the English legal system. The stannary law's complexity and comprehensive reach into the lives of tin miners necessitated the existence of separate and powerful government institutions which reflected the enormous importance of the tin industry to the English economy during the Middle Ages. Special laws for tin miners pre-date written legal codes in Britain, and ancient traditions exempted everyone connected with tin mining in Cornwall and Devon from any jurisdiction other than the stannary courts in all but the most exceptional circumstances!

Cathedral Mine became known as New Cathedral Mine from 1878, but it had been worked by the new owners for only ten months prior to the fatal accident which occurred on the 13th January 1881. The previous owners had opened from the surface, but no one knew the extent of any old workings on the lode, although it was known that a parallel load had been worked about 40 fathoms to the south many years before. On the fateful day, seven men and two boys were working in the 52 fathom level (100 metres below surface). James Matthews and James Ferral drilled two holes in the East face. The other miners cleared rock and ore from the West drive ready for loading in to the skip for hoisting to the  surface. Matthews  set two charges and the fuses were lit, however, only one charge set off. After waiting Matthews prepared another charge. Unexpectedly, there was a tremendous rush of air followed by the crash and roar of a thundering torrent as water from nearby old workings burst in. Matthews and Farrell ran to the ladder way. Matthews climbed the ladder, but the blast of air up the shaft blew out the candles. Matthews  escaped, but James Ferral (aged 15) and seven other miners were drowned. The ladder at the bottom of the winze by which Matthews escaped was a movable one so that stuff could be wheeled from the level end of the shaft. When the mine was pumped out the body of the boy Ferral was found at the bottom of the 52 fathoms east level, grasping the ladder firmly with both hands. At the time of the accident the men in the mine were James Matthews and James Ferral on the 52 fathoms level west of the engine shaft. On the same level east of the engine shaft were George Richards (aged 29), Richard Gates (aged 33), Richard Bennetts (aged 17) and William Northley (aged 15). On the bottom level of 52 fathoms level were Joseph May (aged 37), John Blacker (aged 24) and William Blacker (aged 20).

At the inquest James Matthews testified:
“I was one on the afternoon care in the New Cathedral Mine on the 19th January last. I was working in the end of the 52 fathom level west of the engine shaft and had with me a boy called James Henry Ferral. I met Thomas Murrish (who Matthews had relieved) at the adit on my way down who told me some water was rising from the bottom of the level. I told him I thought better ground was coming. The water coming out was of no quantity. It was just running, there was no force about it. I had no idea there was any danger. We had bored two holes, of which one was in the bottom. The water did not increase at all, all those holes were fired. I went into the ‘platt’ and the boy with me. One hole went off the other missed fire. I prepared a fresh charge to fire the missed hole. I waited about half an hour and was preparing to go in when I heard a rush. I called to the men at the bottom of the shaft to come up, and I and the boy ran to the winze east of the shaft where the ladderway is. When I got on the ladder in the winze a rush of air put out my light. I had previously seen the boy take the ladder. I had called to the men in the east end of the 52 fathoms level but I don’t know whether they heard me. I kept up the ladders in the dark till I came to the adit, when I lit my candle and found that I was alone. I never heard of any of the men objecting to their work in the mine on account of water.”

At the inquest the agents stated that they did not know of the existence of the old mine and although the Inspector had made inquiries he had been unable to find any plans of the old workings. The manager of the mine stated that a few weeks before his appointment he asked one of his predecessors if there was any a danger for old workings and was told, “You can extend the levels west or east and you will find no communication anywhere”. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death caused by the influx of water from old workings and exonerated the agents from all blame.

The 52 level was extended to the west after the accident with boreholes kept in advance of the workings. An old winze was found and the water was let down slowly with a strong brick dam installed. This contained a three-inch pipe so that if further water was encountered it could be drained off through the pipe without danger. However, the mine was eventually abandoned a few years later in 1885.

The ivy covered remains of the engine house bob wall can be seen at the location. The engine house had a 60 inch pump engine that stood over Colonel's Shaft, but as this is on private land it is inaccessible.

Geochronology

Geologic Time				Rocks, Minerals and Events
Phanerozoic
	Paleozoic
		Permian
			Guadalupian	ⓘ Major polymetallic mineralization ~270 Ma Cornwall, England, UK
			Cisuralian	ⓘ Porphyry dikes intruded (latest age) ~275 Ma Cornwall, England, UK ⓘ Greisenization (latest age) ~280 Ma Cornwall, England, UK ⓘ Porphyry dikes intruded (earliest age) ~280 Ma Cornwall, England, UK ⓘ Formation of metallized pegmatites ~285 Ma Cornwall, England, UK ⓘ Greisenization (earliest age) ~285 Ma Cornwall, England, UK ⓘ Emplacement of major plutons ~295 Ma Cornwall, England, UK

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References