{{Short description|British mine}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Levant Mine and Beam Engine | native_name = | native_language = | image = Levant Mine from the air.jpg | caption = Levant Mine seen from the air in 2020 | type = industrial heritage, mine | locmapin = Cornwall | coordinates = {{coord|50|09|08|N|5|41|08|W|display=inline,title}} | location = Trewellard, Cornwall, England | area = | built = | architect = | architecture = | governing_body = | owner = National Trust | designation1 = WHS | designation1_date = 2006 <small>(30th session)</small> | designation1_partof = Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1215 1215] | designation1_criteria = ii, iii, iv | designation1_type = Cultural | designation1_free1name = Region | designation1_free1value = Europe and North America | designation2 = Grade II Listed Building | designation2_offname = Levant Engine Houses | designation2_date = 19 March 1979 | designation2_number = {{listed building England|1143268}} | designation3 = Grade II Listed Building | designation3_offname = Skip Shaft Headframe, Geevor Mine (Levant Section) | designation3_date = 13 July 2011 | designation3_number = {{listed building England|1401870}} | designation4 = Grade II Listed Building | designation4_offname = Higher Levant Mine | designation4_date = 11 June 2019 | designation4_number = {{listed building England|1460143}} | designation5 = | designation5_offname = | designation5_date = | designation5_number = }}

'''Levant Mine and Beam Engine''' is a National Trust property at Trewellard, Pendeen, near St Just, Cornwall, England, UK. Its main attraction is that it has the world's oldest Cornish steam winding engine still working in its original location (and the last such engine still in steam in Cornwall).<ref name="NTHistory">{{cite web |title=History of Levant Mine and Beam Engine |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/levant-mine-and-beam-engine/history-of-levant-mine-and-beam-engine |website=National Trust |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref> There is also a visitor centre, a short underground tour, and the South West Coast Path leads to Botallack Mine, via a cliff-top footpath.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/levant-mine-and-beam-engine|title=Levant Mine and Beam Engine|publisher=National Trust|accessdate=2011-10-15}} (dead link 2 September 2019)</ref>

In 1919 the engine used to transport men between the different levels of the mine failed, leading to the deaths of thirty-one men. Since 2006, the area has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

==Location== thumb|Levant Mine and ruins in 2020 thumb|Looking up at Levant Mine thumb|Levant Mine Landscape. See sketch map above to locate features. thumb|Levant Mine, Cornwall in 2020 thumb|Levant mine: Beam winding engine, pump engine house and headgear. See map. The property is on the site of the former Levant Mine, established in 1820 and closed in 1930, where tin and copper ores were raised. The mine reached a depth of about 600 metres. It got the nickname "mine under the sea", because tunnels were driven up to 2.5&nbsp;km from the cliffs under the sea. The surviving beam engine was built {{Circa|1840}} by Harvey's of Hayle.<ref name="CM">{{cite web|url=http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/Levant-Mine-and-Beam-Engine/Cornwall-Museums/|title=Levant Mine and Beam Engine|publisher=Cornwall Museums|accessdate=24 May 2016}}</ref>

thumb|center|300px|Overview sketch of the buildings and ruins of the Levant Mine (buildings and ruins still existing shown in red)

==History== The mine yields both copper and tin and was opened in 1820 with twenty shares of £20 each. From first opening, to circa 1883, the mine gave a profit of £171,000 from approximately £1,300,000 worth of ore. In 1882 the mine was taken over by new owners on a 21 year lease, who replaced machinery and improved the surface-works.<ref name=cman283p7>{{cite news |last1=Croft |first1=E W (Ouit) |title=The Industries Of Penzance And Its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine |work=The Cornishman |issue=283 |date=13 December 1883 |page=7}}</ref>

In 1883 three shafts were open. One shaft is occupied by the man-engine, a second by a pumping-engine and the third for hauling out the skips. Since the introductions of skips, for bringing ore to the surface, two shafts were abandoned. There were six engines on site, # pumping-engine, {{convert|45|inch}} cylinder – pumps water from the mine # stamping, {{convert|30|inch}} cylinder – breaks up the ore # winding-engine or whim, {{convert|26|inch}} cylinder – raises the ore to the surface # man-engine, {{convert|24|inch}} cylinder # crushing-machine, {{convert|18|inch}} cylinder # winding-engine, {{convert|14|inch}} cylinder.<ref name="ouit284">{{cite news |last1=Croft |first1=E W (Ouit) |title=The Industries of Penzance and its Neighbourhood. No XX. The Mining Of St Just. 3 – Levant Mine (continued) |work=The Cornishman |issue=284 |date=20 December 1883 |page=4}}</ref>

A description of the working conditions of the mine was described in ''The Cornishman'' newspaper in 1883. Around 366 men, boys, and girls were employed compared with about 600 prior to 1882. The mine was worked in three, eight-hour shifts, (except on Sunday) with fifty to sixty men working underground in each shift. Access to the underground levels (i.e. passages) was by ladder and the temperature was around {{convert|92|F}}. The men were all more or less working in a nude state and sweating profusely. They were provided with spring water which was stored in huge canteens. Few are able to work underground after the age of 35.<ref name=cman283p7/><ref name="cman281p7">{{cite news |last1=Perambulating Contributor |title=Roundabout Papers No 9. A Visit To Levant Mine |work=The Cornishman |issue=281 |date=29 October 1881 |page=7}}</ref> The width of the levels are {{convert|7|feet}} high and {{convert|3-4|feet}} wide, while the width of the lode is from {{convert|6|inch}} to {{convert|3|feet}} wide. Thus a quantity of hard rock on each side of the lode has to be cut away at great expense. The levels are expanded by explosives. First a hole is made by hand-drill {{convert|20|inch}} deep, taking about two hours and the hole is charged with gunpowder. Premature ignition causes many injuries and fatalities. A {{convert|14|inch}} cylinder engine raised the ore to the surface in skips on two parallel inclines, one ascending as the other was lowered.<ref name="cman281p7"/>

=== 1919 disaster ===

On 20 October 1919 an accident killed 31 miners, when a metal bracket at the top of a rod broke on the man engine. To use the man engine, the miners stepped on to a ladder, were transported {{convert|12|feet}} up or down, climbed off onto a sollar, waited for the ladder to reset its position, then stepped back on to the ladder, repeating the process. The rod broke in several pieces and heavy timbers crashed down the shaft. A large scale rescue operation was able to save some of the miners. The engine was not replaced and the lower levels of the mine were abandoned.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wisdom |first1=Phil |title=Levant centenary will be marked on Sunday |work=The Cornishman |date=17 October 2019 |page=3}}</ref>

==Minerals and ores== * silver * bismuth * calcspar * aragonite * vitreous copper ore or grey sulphuret of copper<ref name="ouit284"/>

== Mineral Statistics == [[File:Chalcocite-104084.jpg|thumb|Chalcocite from Levant mine. A fine specimen of high-grade copper ore.]] [[File:Cuprite-Copper-247717.jpg|thumb|Cuprite and native copper from the Levant mine. Historic specimen.]] From Robert Hunt's ''Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom''<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Burt |first1=Roger |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZEpmwEACAAJ |title=Mining in Cornwall and Devon: Mines and Men |last2=Burnley |first2=Ray |last3=Gill |first3=Michael |last4=Neill |first4=Alasdair |date=2014 |publisher=University of Exeter Press |isbn=978-0-85989-889-8 |language=en}}</ref>''.'' {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |+Copper Production (1845-1927) !Year(s) !Ore (Tons) !Metal (Tons) !Value (£) |- |1845 |1,088.00 |106.60 |7,154.90 |- |1846 |1,293.00 |130.30 |8,199.90 |- |1847 |851.00 |98.80 |6,849.10 |- |1848 |1,776.00 |177.60 |9,857.20 |- |1849 |1,904.00 |170.90 |10,972.70 |- |1850 |2,668.00 |217.10 |14,156.80 |- |1851 |1,539.00 |118.10 |7,350.30 |- |1852 |1,333.00 |101.60 |7,993.20 |- |1853 |1,627.00 |91.30 |8,141.30 |- |1854 |1,589.00 |87.70 |8,201.20 |- |1855 |1,578.00 |94.90 |9,060.80 |- |1856 |1,641.00 |94.00 |7,859.40 |- |1857 |1,587.00 |81.60 |7,446.10 |- |1858 |1,473.00 |96.80 |8,267.30 |- |1859 |1,567.00 |90.30 |7,940.10 |- |1860 |957.00 |57.20 |5,126.00 |- |1861 |967.00 |61.80 |5,260.70 |- |1862 |1,069.00 |71.30 |5,508.10 |- |1863 |1,203.00 |85.20 |6,252.50 |- |1864 |839.00 |53.60 |4,235.70 |- |1865 |609.00 |42.20 |3,112.40 |- |1866 |349.00 |25.60 |1,543.10 |- |1867 |376.00 |37.20 |2,493.00 |- |1868 |380.00 |34.70 |2,278.20 |- |1869 |142.00 |18.60 |1,185.80 |- |1870 |100.00 |16.20 |1,029.90 |- |1871 |72.00 |9.00 |572.50 |- |1873 |74.00 |8.00 |518.90 |- |1874 |61.00 |12.50 |912.60 |- |1875 |123.00 |18.40 |1,411.80 |- |1876 |338.00 |41.60 |2,767.30 |- |1877 |419.80 |52.40 |2,897.10 |- |1878 |741.10 |100.70 |5,386.40 |- |1879 |385.60 |45.20 |2,312.10 |- |1880 |519.00 |70.30 |3,990.70 |- |1881 |1,002.40 |123.90 |6,949.60 |- |1882 |1,173.00 |117.30 |7,800.00 |- |1883 |1,477.70 |155.00 |7,357.00 |- |1884 |1,637.00 |.. |8,014.00 |- |1885 |1,364.00 |.. |6,073.00 |- |1886 |634.00 |.. |3,419.00 |- |1887 |727.00 |.. |3,698.00 |- |1888 |1,209.00 |.. |14,187.00 |- |1889 |1,505.00 |.. |7,293.00 |- |1890 |1,979.00 |.. |6,798.00 |- |1891 |2,189.00 |.. |5,994.00 |- |1892 |1,719.00 |.. |3,788.00 |- |1893 |1,230.00 |.. |3,441.00 |- |1894 |1,882.00 |.. |7,577.00 |- |1895 |4,333.00 |.. |15,730.00 |- |1896 |4,897.00 |.. |16,299.00 |- |1897 |3,455.00 |.. |11,009.00 |- |1898 |2,981.00 |.. |12,057.00 |- |1899 |3,627.00 |.. |17,827.00 |- |1900 |5,064.00 |.. |22,097.00 |- |1901 |3,550.00 |.. |17,430.00 |- |1902 |3,056.00 |.. |10,540.00 |- |1903 |3,381.00 |.. |10,961.00 |- |1904 |2,884.00 |.. |8,440.00 |- |1905 |3,387.00 |.. |11,788.00 |- |1906 |2,140.00 |.. |8,819.00 |- |1907 |1,962.00 |.. |9,007.00 |- |1908 |807.00 |.. |4,215.00 |- |1909 |1,202.00 |.. |3,737.00 |- |1910 |683.00 |.. |2,049.00 |- |1911 |900.00 |.. |3,062.00 |- |1912 |510.00 |.. |5,004.00 |- |1913 |383.00 |.. |3,303.00 |- |1914 |403.00 |.. |1,948.00 |- |1915 |164.00 |.. |1,283.00 |- |1916 |125.00 |.. |1,475.00 |- |1916 |155.00 |.. |2,466.00 |- |1917 |125.00 |.. |1,525.00 |- |1917 |146.00 |.. |2,529.00 |- |1918 |41.00 |.. |513.00 |- |1918 |54.00 |.. |1,782.00 |- |1922 |96.00 |.. |.. |- |1923 |4.90 |.. |.. |- |1924 |13.00 |.. |.. |- |1925 |9.00 |.. |.. |- |1926 |9.00 |.. |.. |- |1927 |4.60 |.. |. |} {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |+Tin Production (1852-1970) !Year(s) !Black (Tons) !Stuff (Tons) !Tin (Tons) !Value (£) |- |1852 |57.50 |.. |.. |.. |- |1853 |41.00 |.. |.. |2,861.50 |- |1854 |287.40 |.. |.. |19,540.00 |- |1855 |310.00 |.. |.. |20,099.70 |- |1856 |218.40 |.. |.. |15,659.80 |- |1857 |192.20 |.. |.. |15,161.90 |- |1858 |151.30 |.. |.. |9,587.20 |- |1859 |210.50 |.. |.. |15,479.50 |- |1860 |227.30 |.. |.. |18,138.60 |- |1861 |178.50 |.. |.. |13,404.10 |- |1862 |241.30 |.. |.. |15,906.60 |- |1863 |170.30 |.. |.. |11,178.30 |- |1864 |184.00 |.. |.. |11,920.80 |- |1865 |183.30 |.. |.. |9,913.90 |- |1866 |94.90 |.. |.. |9,657.70 |- |1867 |187.10 |.. |.. |9,916.90 |- |1868 |134.90 |.. |.. |7,434.00 |- |1869 |174.10 |.. |.. |12,073.30 |- |1870 |138.80 |.. |.. |9,914.10 |- |1871 |86.30 |.. |.. |6,368.80 |- |1872 |6.80 |.. |.. |456.60 |- |1873 |83.90 |.. |.. |6,154.80 |- |1874 |150.10 |.. |.. |8,024.20 |- |1875 |195.60 |.. |.. |9,592.90 |- |1876 |247.80 |.. |.. |10,518.00 |- |1877 |260.10 |.. |.. |10,569.50 |- |1878 |233.20 |.. |.. |8,323.60 |- |1879 |273.60 |.. |.. |10,944.00 |- |1880 |227.40 |.. |.. |11,452.50 |- |1881 |232.60 |.. |158.50 |12,603.60 |- |1882 |230.20 |.. |196.70 |13,475.00 |- |1883 |283.10 |.. |.. |14,984.00 |- |1884 |316.70 |.. |.. |14,498.00 |- |1885 |452.20 |.. |.. |21,664.00 |- |1886 |456.40 |.. |.. |25,244.00 |- |1887 |492.40 |.. |.. |30,598.00 |- |1888 |436.90 |.. |.. |28,182.00 |- |1889 |451.20 |.. |.. |24,769.00 |- |1890 |475.00 |.. |.. |26,730.00 |- |1891 |578.40 |.. |.. |31,436.00 |- |1892 |498.80 |.. |.. |27,265.00 |- |1893 |665.00 |.. |.. |33,775.00 |- |1894 |628.90 |.. |.. |26,109.00 |- |1895 |517.30 |.. |.. |19,630.00 |- |1896 |421.50 |.. |.. |16,201.00 |- |1897 |571.80 |.. |.. |23,162.00 |- |1898 |556.00 |.. |.. |24,428.00 |- |1899 |551.40 |.. |.. |38,940.00 |- |1900 |464.00 |.. |.. |37,852.00 |- |1901 |514.20 |.. |.. |37,075.00 |- |1902 |573.20 |.. |.. |43,726.00 |- |1903 |561.80 |.. |.. |43,925.00 |- |1904 |540.40 |.. |.. |43,005.00 |- |1905 |528.50 |.. |.. |46,450.00 |- |1906 |456.90 |.. |.. |49,031.00 |- |1907 |338.80 |.. |.. |37,044.00 |- |1908 |361.60 |.. |.. |28,670.00 |- |1909 |422.00 |.. |.. |33,857.00 |- |1910 |370.00 |.. |.. |33,490.00 |- |1911 |431.00 |.. |.. |49,035.00 |- |1912 |363.30 |.. |.. |46,593.00 |- |1913 |381.00 |.. |.. |45,583.00 |- |1914 |447.00 |.. |.. |36,912.00 |- |1914 |119.00 |9,053.00 |.. |.. |- |1915 |462.00 |.. |.. |40,854.00 |- |1915 |411.00 |26,380.00 |.. |.. |- |1916 |437.00 |.. |.. |44,374.00 |- |1916 |437.00 |.. |.. |46,298.00 |- |1917 |372.00 |.. |.. |48,142.00 |- |1917 |372.00 |.. |.. |48,500.00 |- |1918 |278.00 |.. |.. |53,828.00 |- |1918 |278.00 |.. |.. |55,171.00 |- |1919 |313.00 |15,355.00 |.. |.. |- |1922 |176.75 |8,590.00 |.. |.. |- |1923 |278.00 |19,360.00 |.. |.. |- |1924 |454.00 |37,130.00 |.. |.. |- |1925 |396.00 |39,642.00 |.. |.. |- |1926 |295.00 |35,582.00 |.. |.. |- |1927 |357.00 |35,310.00 |.. |.. |- |1928 |414.00 |29,292.00 |.. |.. |- |1929-1931 |no-details |.. |.. |.. |- |1962 |no-details |.. |.. |.. |- |1966-1970 |no-details |.. |.. |.. |} {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |+Arsenic Production (1881-1927) !Year(s) !Ore (Tons) !Value (£) |- |1881 |20.00 |50.00 |- |1882 |20.00 |80.00 |- |1883 |11.30 |43.00 |- |1884 |110.00 |467.00 |- |1885 |207.80 |861.00 |- |1886 |142.80 |625.00 |- |1887 |144.00 |773.00 |- |1888 |146.00 |762.00 |- |1889 |173.00 |935.00 |- |1890 |75.00 |553.00 |- |1891 |186.00 |1,267.00 |- |1892 |246.00 |1,143.00 |- |1893 |189.00 |1,083.00 |- |1894 |192.00 |1,243.00 |- |1895 |216.00 |1,299.00 |- |1896 |250.00 |1,609.00 |- |1897 |231.00 |2,019.00 |- |1898 |132.00 |434.00 |- |1899 |200.00 |912.00 |- |1900 |216.00 |1,579.00 |- |1904 |105.00 |368.00 |- |1905 |650.00 |1,787.00 |- |1906 |234.00 |2,267.00 |- |1907 |196.00 |4,222.00 |- |1908 |106.00 |512.00 |- |1909 |100.00 |569.00 |- |1910 |99.00 |586.00 |- |1911 |163.00 |522.00 |- |1912 |168.80 |563.00 |- |1913 |122.00 |555.00 |- |1914 |58.00 |213.00 |- |1916 |197.00 |1,681.00 |- |1916 |202.00 |1,162.00 |- |1917 |86.00 |2,351.00 |- |1917 |86.00 |2,786.00 |- |1918 |52.00 |2,938.00 |- |1918 |52.00 |3,184.00 |- |1922 |11.00 |.. |- |1923 |15.00 |.. |- |1924 |94.00 |.. |- |1925 |40.00 |.. |- |1926 |30.00 |.. |- |1927 |10.00 |.. |} {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |+Employment (1878-1931) !Year(s) !Total !Overground !Underground |- |1878 |294 |102 |192 |- |1879 |279 |87 |192 |- |1880 |299 |94 |205 |- |1881 |308 |96 |212 |- |1882 |326 |105 |221 |- |1883 |362 |116 |246 |- |1884 |358 |114 |244 |- |1885 |406 |127 |279 |- |1886 |430 |134 |296 |- |1887 |448 |133 |315 |- |1888 |505 |150 |355 |- |1889 |509 |159 |350 |- |1890 |513 |159 |354 |- |1891 |519 |154 |365 |- |1892 |489 |157 |332 |- |1893 |501 |162 |339 |- |1894 |562 |179 |383 |- |1895 |604 |192 |412 |- |1896 |602 |201 |401 |- |1897 |609 |202 |407 |- |1898 |607 |198 |409 |- |1899 |630 |203 |427 |- |1900 |692 |213 |479 |- |1901 |724 |226 |498 |- |1902 |710 |201 |509 |- |1903 |685 |201 |484 |- |1904 |679 |200 |479 |- |1905 |634 |199 |435 |- |1906 |547 |188 |359 |- |1907 |501 |181 |320 |- |1908 |523 |171 |352 |- |1909 |494 |172 |322 |- |1910 |457 |165 |292 |- |1911 |476 |171 |305 |- |1912 |474 |172 |302 |- |1913 |439 |167 |272 |- |1914 |410 |164 |246 |- |1915 |386 |164 |222 |- |1916 |377 |161 |216 |- |1917 |365 |156 |209 |- |1918 |312 |136 |176 |- |1918 |312 |136 |176 |- |1919 |331 |144 |187 |- |1919 |331 |144 |187 |- |1920 |326 |150 |176 |- |1921 |76 |66 |10 |- |1922 |118 |67 |51 |- |1923 |191 |97 |94 |- |1924 |232 |105 |127 |- |1925 |276 |114 |162 |- |1926 |257 |108 |149 |- |1927 |255 |108 |147 |- |1928 |192 |99 |93 |- |1929 |198 |93 |105 |- |1930 |158 |75 |83 |- |1931 |2 |2 |.. |}

==See also== {{Portal|Cornwall}} * Man engine for an account of the accident in the mine on 20 October 1919. * Geevor Tin Mine, just to the northeast of the Levant complex. * South Crofty * Wheal Jane * Consolidated Mines * Devon Great Consols * Botallack Mine also known as Crown Mine

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Levant Mine}} * [https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/levant-mine-and-beam-engine Levant Mine and Beam Engine information at the National Trust] * [http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='levant') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Levant] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100419030449/http://www.landsendarea.com/trails/levant.htm Levant Mine Self-guided trail] * {{NHLE |num=1143268}}

Category:Copper mines in Cornwall Category:Grade II listed buildings in Cornwall Category:Grade II listed industrial buildings Category:Industrial archaeological sites in Cornwall Category:Mining equipment Category:Mining museums in Cornwall Category:National Trust properties in Cornwall Category:1919 disasters in the United Kingdom Category:Preserved beam engines Category:St Just in Penwith Category:Steam museums in England Category:Tin mines in Cornwall