Wheal Hermon

Overview

Reputed to be the oldest tin mine in Cornwall marked on a map -- Hatfield's 1560 survey of the St Just district, which shows it as 'Hermeno' -- with recorded working continuing on and off into the early 19th century.

History

Wheal Hermon, also known as Wheal St Just, lies in the Cot Valley near Letcha, St Just. It is reputed to be the oldest tin mine in Cornwall marked on any map: the 1560 Hatfield survey of St Just mining operations shows a working called 'Hermeno', generally identified as Wheal Hermon, and documented working is thought to have continued from around that date until sometime after 1584, when the mine was recorded again by the surveyor John Norden. Mining activity in the area very likely predates even this documentary record. Later activity is recorded in 1716, and again from 1753 to around 1770; part of the sett was reworked under the name Lower Hermon Bounds in 1787, and is next mentioned in 1816.

Workings

Worked intermittently across several centuries; part of the sett was reworked as Lower Hermon Bounds from 1787.

Closure

No production is recorded after 1816; the mine's working life is instead notable for how far back it can be documented, rather than for when it finally ended.

What remains

No reliable current-condition detail has yet been located.

Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.

Recorded claims

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

• The 1560 Hatfield survey of St Just mining operations shows a working called 'Hermeno', generally identified as Wheal Hermon -- reputedly the oldest tin mine in Cornwall marked on any map. ¹
• Later activity at Wheal Hermon is recorded in 1716, 1753-1770, and as Lower Hermon Bounds from 1787, next mentioned in 1816. ²

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.

Sources

1. (secondary) Wheal Hermon (Wheal St Just), Cot Valley, St Just — Mindat
2. (primary) Wheal Hermon Tin Mine, Letcha and the Cot Valley, St Just — National Trust Heritage Records

Record created: 1 September 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026