Cornish pumping engines were erected wherever ore was found at depth. This led to some incredible locations on precipitous cliffs, especially where ore had been followed out under the sea. At Wheal Coates near St. Agnes in Cornwall, an engine house was erected at Towanroath shaft in 1872 for a 36 inch pumping engine. My picture shows the cliff side location which is actually relatively tame compared with some others around the Cornish coastline. This particular working only lasted until 1881 and the engine was taken out about 1885. The engine house is now owned by the National Trust, who carried out major stabilisation and conservation work around 1970. This quite pristine engine house has subsequently been the subject of innumerable picture postcards.
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