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Geevor Tin Mine
Click here for our other Cornish Mining pages - THE WAY ‘OVE UN PARD! South Crofty by Clies Stevens
This gallery together with our other photographic gallery dedicated to Mining in Cornwall is part of a series which will eventually see us cover as many of these important heritage sites within the genius loci website.
Geevor was the first Cornish Tin mine I ever visited and to return with Clies Stevens who used to work there in the 1960's was a great honor. It was also very moving for Clies as well. These pictures cannot possibly try and capture what is is like to visit Geevor Tin Mine let alone try and capture what it was like to work there. We whole heartily recommend that you visit Geevor Tin Mine. It really is fantastic.
A YESTERDAY TO REMEMBER
In the last few days I returned to a place I once worked in, Geevor tin
mine. I worked there in the sixties, when the Rolling Stones and Beatles reigned
supreme in the pop world. The yesterday thing was brought home to me when I
walked back in the dry (changing/shower rooms) and as I stood there I remembered
the rough humour and swearing that would go on as men prepared to go once again
back to work not just underground, but out under the sea bed itself!
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge |
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Locker doors banging and the muted thump of boots on cement floors, laughter and general chatter all at an ungodly hour of the day. Outside the dry one would hear the ringing of bells as the ‘Lander’ rang off the cage with it’s cargo of men to the different levels underground, and once the cage had reached the level more bells would ring as the underground ‘Lander’ rang the bell to alert the ‘whim’ driver he was spot on for levelling the cage with the working level floor. Then more bells as he would ring the cage ‘off’ to surface and the care of the surface Lander.
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Today though it was the shrieking wind as a
force 8/9 gale blew and caressed us with force. Lonely now, no more rough
humour, laughter and jokes or the thump of boots, no more ribbing the cage man
as he packed you in the cage. Once in the cage waiting to go down someone would
invariably break wind, and the groans and cries plus helpless laughter from the
delighted owner of this foul smell would echo up the shaft as the cage dropped.
Those men were heroes, all of them though they would never agree with me. But to
a young man of 19 who thought he was really something they were magnificent; and
I modelled my bearing on them in future year’s abroad.
The faces in the photos on the wall of the dry are like ghosts from the past;
though I never knew some of them I could see the calling of the mine in the look
they gave the camera.
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Cornish mines have been ‘knacked’ in the past
and have risen again, and I sincerely hope Geevor and Crofty will one day rise
again and be fruitful before all the old skills are forgotten and have to be
relearned.
The Beatles had a hit record with a number called Yesterday. Well, and on that
day I found my Yesterday and somehow the inherent sadness in the music seemed to
fit exactly the old place, but Geevor also has a tomorrow yet to come, I only
hope I am around to see it.
Clies Stevens
KERNOW BYS VIKEN
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen Photography by genius loci click on image to enlarge
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Special thank you to Janet Quinton who is Deputy Head Guide at Geevor and to Clies Stevens
How to get to Geevor Tin Mine
Website www.geevor.com
Geevor Tin Mine is located in the village of Pendeen, 7 miles west of Penzance.
The mine is easily reached from Penzance, St Ives or Lands End by car or bus.
By Road
From Penzance - From the A30 Penzance bypass take the main road to St
Just (A3071). Follow the brown signs indicating ‘Historic Mining Area’. Continue
along the A3071 and fork right on the B3318 to Pendeen. Turn left at the cross
roads to drive through Pendeen and turn right at the Geevor main entrance.
From Lands End and St Just - Turn off the A30 to St Just on the B3306.
At St Just continue to Pendeen. Geevor is situated about 3 miles from St Just
along the north coast.
From St Ives - Follow the beautiful coast road (the B3306) through Zennor
and Morvah to Pendeen.
By Bus
Geevor offer a 10% discount to visitors who travel to Geevor by bus
From Penzance - Take the 17 and ask for Geevor Tin Mine.
From St Just - Take the 17 (also 300 in summer) and ask for Geevor Tin
Mine.
From St Ives - In summer take the 300 open top bus and ask for Geevor
Tin Mine. At other times of the year travel via Penzance.
Geevor Tin Mine also has a superb cafe and shop. The Cornish Pasties are some of the best we have ever tasted, it is actually a great place to go for Sunday Lunch. Get there early and you can sit next to the window which dramatically over looks the ocean. The shop deserves a mention also in that a great deal of imagination has gone into the stock they carry. There are many hard to find books on folklore, mining and local walks. All the merchandise is of top quality and again this is worthy of a trip on its own. The Genius Loci Team
01736 719342
To contact Geevor Tin Mine visit their website at www.geevor.com
