Wheal Brothers

Overview

One of Britain's few true silver mines, west of Harrowbarrow near Callington, opened as Wheal Duchy in 1810; reopened in 1833, it found rich silver ore its predecessors had left standing in the stopes.

History

Wheal Brothers lay west of Harrowbarrow, on the ridge between Callington and the Tamar, among a group of small mines on silver-lead lodes. It was first opened in 1810 as Wheal Duchy, and while prospecting for copper the miners found silver ore, probably on a north-south cross-course. The lode was up to 31 cm wide and the silver ore up to 15 cm; it was found at the adit level and followed to a depth of 55 metres over a length of 5.5 metres, and carried native silver, pyrargyrite, acanthite, galena and siderite.

The mine was reopened in 1833 as Wheal Brothers. At the 30-fathom level a quantity of silver ore was found standing in the stopes, which the previous owners had evidently not recognised, and within three months nearly £6,000 worth of silver ore had been raised. Wheal Sisters was developed alongside it, and in 1874 the mine was worked together with Silver Valley mine. The World Heritage Site counts it, with Wheal Langford and East Wheal Vincent, among the only true silver mines in Britain.

Geology

A silver-lead lode with native silver, pyrargyrite, acanthite and galena, probably on a north-south cross-course.

Workings

An adit and levels to at least the 30-fathom level.

Closure

Worked with Silver Valley mine in 1874; later history unknown.

What remains

Surface remains survive.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The mine was first opened in 1810 as Wheal Duchy; silver ore was found while prospecting for copper. ¹
• The lode was up to 31 cm wide and the silver ore up to 15 cm, extending from the adit level to 55 m. ¹
• Reopened in 1833 as Wheal Brothers, it found silver ore left in the stopes at the 30-fathom level and raised nearly £6,000 worth in three months. ¹
• Wheal Brothers is among the only true silver mines in Britain. ²
• Wheal Brothers was one of a group of small mines west of Harrowbarrow developed on silver/lead lodes. ³

Sources

1. (secondary) Wheal Brothers Mine, Callington — Cornwall Calling
2. (secondary) World Heritage Site Area Statements A1-A10 — Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site
3. (secondary) Mining in Calstock Parish — Calstock Parish Archive

Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026