MineArchiveWheal Vlow
| Also known as | Perran Consols, Wheal Vloe |
|---|---|
| Location | Sandhills east of Perranporth, Cornwall — 50.3589, -5.1397 (approximate) |
| Commodity | Tin |
| Type | Metal |
| Worked | By 1864–1929 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | Anglo-Oriental Corporation (?–1929) |
Overview
A tin mine in the sandhills east of Perranporth, the centre of the Perran Consols sett, which raised 120 tons of black tin in 1864-66 and was reopened by the Anglo-Oriental Corporation in the 1920s before its abandonment in 1929.
History
Wheal Vlow, also written Wheal Vloe, lay in the sandhills east of Perranporth and formed the central part of the sett of Perran Consols, a name it also went by. It produced 120 tons of black tin between 1864 and 1866. The 1880 Ordnance Survey map shows four shafts, Cowling's, Hallett's, Flat Rod and James's, and two engine houses; in the 1860s and 1870s there was a fifth, Perry's. A 60-inch Cornish pumping engine worked one of the shafts.
In the 1920s Wheal Vlow was one of several Cornish mines reopened by the Anglo-Oriental Corporation. New buildings were going up in 1927, and as the mine was unwatered the pitwork of the old 60-inch engine was hauled out. Plans of the Hallett's tin workings are dated 11 May 1929, on abandonment. Moving dunes have since hidden much of the site, which lies in a holiday park and is largely built over; a reservoir wall survives.
Geology
The Wheal Vlow tin lode, trending east-north-east.
Workings
Cowling's, Hallett's, Flat Rod, James's and Perry's shafts, with two engine houses and a 60-inch Cornish pumping engine.
Closure
Reopened by the Anglo-Oriental Corporation in the 1920s; the Hallett's workings were abandoned in May 1929.
What remains
Largely built over by a holiday park and hidden by moving dunes; a reservoir wall remains.
A reservoir wall.
Redevelopment
Holiday park.
Nearby mines
- Wheal Leisure — 1.0 miles (1.7 km) SW
- Gravel Hill Mine — 1.2 miles (1.9 km) N
- Treamble Mine — 1.2 miles (1.9 km) E
- Droskyn Mine — 1.2 miles (2.0 km) SW
- Perran St George — 1.2 miles (2.0 km) SW
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Perran Consols tin mine was previously Wheal Vloe. 1
- Wheal Vlow formed the central part of the sett of Perran Consols and produced 120 tons of black tin from 1864 to 1866. 2
- The 1880 OS map shows four shafts (Cowling's, Hallett's, Flat Rod, James's) and two engine houses; Perry's shaft existed in the 1860s and 1870s. 2
- In the 1920s Wheal Vlow was one of a number of mines the Anglo Oriental Corporation reopened in Cornwall; the pitwork of the 60-inch pumping engine was hauled out in 1927. 2
- Plans of the Wheal Vlow Hallett's tin workings are dated 11 May 1929. 3
- Sand-dune movement has obscured much of the evidence for Wheal Vlow. 2,1
Sources
- (secondary) Perran Consols (Wheal Vlow) — Cornwall Calling
- (secondary) Mining in our Area — Goonhavern & District History
- (primary) BGS mine plan: Wheal Vlow, Hallett's, tin ore, abandoned 1929 — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
Record created: 18 October 2026 · Last researched: 18 October 2026