WHEAL COATES TIN MINE
CORNWALL, ENGLAND
IMAGE NUMBER 1147
Wheal Coates is a former tin mine situated on the north coast of Cornwall on the cliff tops between Porthtowan and St Agnes. It is preserved and maintained by the National Trust. Earliest records indicate a mine at the site since 1692. The present mine opened in 1802 and was closed in 1889 when the price of tin fell.
The surviving buildings date from the 1870s when deep underground mining began at the site. This image shows the Towanroath Pumping Engine House (1872) which was used to pump water from the adjacent 600 ft Towanroath shaft.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/500th of a second and an aperture of F8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.