The long history of Cornwall's Ding Dong mines

Hidden within the heart of Cornwall, UK, lies the Ding Dong Mines, a relic that forms part of an extensive mining area in the parish of Madron. Since 2006, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. The Ding Dong mine is believed to be one of the oldest mines in the United Kingdom, with surrounding landmarks such as the Nine Maidens Stone Circle and Lanyon Quoit dating back to prehistoric times. Spanning over 500 acres, the mine was described as having 22 tin lodes connected with it. Its notoriety soared during the 18th century due to a memorable legal dispute over James Watt's 'condenser patent'.

In 1796, a 28-inch cylinder inverted engine designed by Edward Bull was put into the Ding Dong mine, leading to a lawsuit regarding an infringement of the patent. One of these engines was later erected at the mine in 1797, after a conventional Boulton and Watt engine was inverted by Richard Trevithick and William West. Trevithick, promoted to engineer of the Ding Dong mine in 1796, had previously worked with his father at Wheal Treasury mine.

Throughout the 19th century, the mine yielded some 2,905 tons of black tin between 1855 and its closure. While 206 miners worked there at the end of the 1850s, the mine struggled to meet its expenses. By 1870, production had increased enough for the mine to have 200 men working there. However, due to the exhaustion of local deposits and a drop in tin prices caused by new deposits in Queensland, the mine finally ceased production on 11 July 1877.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons