A view of 

South Caradon Mine  
TeamManleyy
Pearce's Shaft 
SX266700  
100 fathoms deep 
 
Click for full picture Pearces shaft in the  late 19th  century 
Neil Parkhouse collection 

 
Picture is distorted by my reproduction process. Bob and buttress wall can be identified. 
Walling of reservoir  is also visible.		 Pearce's shaft can be seen uphill from Sump Shaft overlooking the Seaton Valley. The shaft was sunk on main lode (as was Sump shaft) and from it cross-cuts gave access to lodes to the north and south. The underground workings extend almost half a kilometre to the east from here, and westwards passing under the Seaton River. 
The building had an unusual set of buttressed walls that give the ruin a gothic appearance. Whilst only partial walls remain of this unusual engine house its hill slope location and its buttresses make it a prominent landmark. 
Home page
Views from footpath
Plan
Map
Main lode section
Sump Pump engine
Sump Winding engine
  
The Pumping from this shaft was originally powered by flat-rods running uphill from the winding engine at Sump Shaft.

The 50" engine was installed at Pearce's in 1870, relatively late in the mines life. 

Reasons suggested for the buttressed including unstable ground and the angle of the shaft. Brown & Acton supports the angle of shaft theory, see below.
Pearce's Engine House.  (2004 )
The unusual buttresses are  clearly visible on the left supporting the collapsing bob wall and the tallest remaining wall corner supports the chimney stump. The boiler house  is on the western side and only foundations remain. More obvious is the reservoir pond, sited close uphill, which has a large retaining wall on its southern end. 
Ref CAU
Diagram of the shaft on the underlie Different methods of sinking Pearce's and Sump shaft on the same lode 

Sump shaft (on the left) was sunk vertically down to 40 fathoms from where it continued downwards following the angle of the lode which had an underlie. 
Pearce's shaft however (on the right) was sunk following the underlie from the surface and this would have resulted in the pump rods leaving the bob end at an angle. Such an angle would have exerted a sideways pull on the bob and its supporting wall. attempting to pull it into the shaft. 
This is perhaps for this reason that the house is mounted away from the shaft and why it was built with buttresses. 
 
 

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 rights of way.