Just a couple of comments on Adrian's list of headgears:
(1) CUMBRIA
The list given includes "Florence colliery". Is this a correct
description?
Near Egremont there is the Florence hematite iron ore mine
(see the 1997 NAMHO Booklet, page 55 ).
(2) CORNWALL
The list includes "London School of Mines practice mine - W",
where "W" indicates "still working".
The Royal School of Mines, based in London, had the use of
the former Tywarnhaile copper mine near Porthtowan on the
coast north of Redruth as a mine survey field centre - I spent a
happy eight weeks there in 1952 as part of my Mining degree
course. (We had one day off to go on a coach tour of west
Cornwall with Jack Trounson standing up at the front telling us
the story behind every pumphouse - a fascinating day!!!)
Although Tywarnhaile had a number of shafts, some of which we
surveyed ( e.g. the inclined Railway shaft; Gardiner's shaft, which
went down vertically for 70 feet and then went off on the incline; and
James's shaft, vertical all the way ), it had no headgears at any
shaft, as I recall. All were capped off at ground level with timbered
cappings, with appropriate trap-doors for access and through
which to take survey sights. One shaft, John's, a vertical shaft,
was still open, and had a well-reserved pumphouse standing
prominently on the skyline as you walked down the valley bottom.
Access to the low-level "Deep Adit" was down a 20 foot deep shaft,
again through a trap door. All access into the workings was by ladder.
So, I do not think it correct to list the Tywarnhaile mine as having
a headgear.
Also, the Royal School of Mines (Old Students') Association's
newsletter "Update", Issue Seven, Autumn 1998, carried an
article saying "Easter saw the final course in mine surveying to be
held at Tywarnhaile Mine and the Royal School of Mines will
surrender its lease to the Duchy of Cornwall soon."
The article adds, "The Botallack Trust, part of the Carn Brea Mining
Society, is hoping to take over the lease. It will preserve access
to this historic site showing excellent 18th and 19th century mining
techniques." Later it says "Other organisations have proposed a
scheme by which the whole valley, including Tywarnhaile, would be
classified as a area of unique mining heritage."
What has happened since 1998 I do not know.
But it seems that (i) without a headgear, it should not be on your list,
and (ii) even if it were, it should not carry a symbol "W".
Tony Brewis
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