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 manley@eastkernow.freeserve.co.uk
Caradon Hill Railways 

Transporting the Ore 
Summary of the lines
History of the LCR
History of the LLUC
South Caradon Mine
East Caradon Mine
Plans, views and detail
 
The transport infrastrcture that grew up around Caradon Hill was an integral part of the mining system. It linked the mines of the area with the port of Looe enabling the economic transport of the Ore to the smelters of South Wales. Tin and granite travelled down these rails but it was the great wealth of Copper that provided the main reason for these railways .In particular it was the great copper wealth of South Caradon mine that triggered the building of this network of railways across the moorland of Bodmin moor. 
The main line was formed by the Liskeard and Caradon Railway (LCR)which ran down to the Liskeard and Looe Union Canal (LLUC) basin at Moorswater, a canal that was replaced by a railway enabling trains to run from Caradon to the quays at Looe.
 
Plan of the Railways around Caradon Hill 

Click for mine map
 
Based on; OS Maps 1:25000,OS 6" 1882 (crown copyright reserved),Various maps in  Messenger,Maps in CAU, figs in Burt  

The apparent circular layout arises from the opening of the Kilmar Junction railway in 1877 to by pass the Gonamena Incline. Once this detour was made around the Eastern side of Caradon Hill the Incline Plain was closed. The layout at Minions changed several times over the LCR's history and this plan is a simplification of the lines in the area.
This map shows the layout of lines and Tramways  around Caradon hill with their dates of opening. 

The main mines are also shown and the figures in brown boxes indicate the amount of ore being produced by each mine in 1870. It is  expressed in the approximate number of wagon loads per week that would have been needed to transport the ore down to the Quays of looe.  

This is only a snap shot of the loading placed on the railway system by each mine as over the 19th Century different mines peaked in output at different times. 
 

 
Other Maps
Caradon Hill Mines
Footpath along the trackbed
South Caradon mine
East Caradon mine
East Caradon 1863 map
Railways at South Caradon mine
South Caradon Dressing floor tramway
South Caradon tramway
East Caradon Railways
 
Some Views and Details
Gonamena Incline
LCR through West Caradon
LCR  near Minions  
(Grassmere lane)
Ore traffic at South Caradon
Aerial view of Kitto's shaft area
 
The Lines
LCR Liskeard and Caradon
KJR Kilmar Junction Railway
Kilmar Railway
South Caradon Branch
Tokenbury Branch
East Caradon Branch
South Caradon Dressing floor tramway
 
No public right away exists  on Caradon Hill . 
On many mine sites in Cornwall dangers may still exist, many hidden. 
This web site is published as a resource to those using the public right of way from Crows Nest to Minions.
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