>With regard to the boilers - pictures of engine houses I have seen from
>around this time (and later) show external boilers with no structure or
>insulation around them. Not surprising nothing remains.
David,
Buckingham was a copper mine at some distance from suitable coal resources
so efficiency of the boiler would be important.
However, in relation to Phil's original query, it is not unusual to find no
surviving surface evidence for a boiler house or chimney. The engine house
itself was a substantial structure designed to form part of the engine
loadings, whereas the boiler house was a much lighter structure providing
cover only. The latter, and the chimney, would be of small dimension stone
or brick, and easily robbed for use elsewhere once the mine closed. Some
time ago the Exmoor Mines Research Group investigated the small, all indoor
engine, at the Gourt copper mine, near Molland - to resolve a dispute as to
whether it was an engine house - and, whilst there was no surface evidence
for a boiler and chimney, they were soon revealed in a trial trench. No
geophysics were carried out but the sort of sub-surface evidence revealed
would have been clear using non-invasive techniques.
Peter
______________________________________________
Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen,
Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
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See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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