Wheal Grey

Wheal Grey, described by Joseph Collins as 'a large tin vein in pot granite', lies just to the south-east of Germoe church, in an area of highly kaolinised ground. Five lodes were exploited for tin to a maximum depth of 65 fathoms below adit.

Workings for tin in the Tresowes Moor Bounds, an area identical to the Wheal Grey sett, are mentioned in the Callenick Smelting-house books in 1715. Following a period of idleness the mine was restarted in 1810 and a 1/16th share was advertised for sale in 1811. In 1836 the mine employed 130 people and had a 60-inch pumping engine. In 1848 however worked again ceased and the machinery, which now included 53-inch and 40-inch pumping engines, was put up for sale. The next mention of the mine was in 1868 when part of it was incorporated into Great Work Mine although this section was abandoned in 1873, just before the mine ceased operations.

In 1875 Wheal Grey was acquired by William Argall of Breage who wanted to work the china clay. The sett now worked as the Wheal Grey China Clay and Tin Company, and by 1878 kilns had been constructed for the manufacture of bricks in an effort to deal with some of the waste produced by the pit. In 1893, together with the Tresowes and Tregonning Hill works, Wheal Grey was leased to John Miners Holman of Camborne, Frank Harvey of Hayle and F. W. Thomas, manager of Dolcoath Mine at Camborne. The three setts then worked as the Tregonning Clay and Brick Works.

The works, then called the Wheal Grey China Clay Works, was acquired by John Lovering & Co. of St Austell in about 1903. However, in 1932, following the formation of English Clays, Lovering, Pochin, Ltd., this pit, along with the Balleswidden and Leswidden near St Just and Baker's Pit near Towednack, was closed.

However Wheal Grey ceased operating as a china clay producer shortly afterwards and only continued with the manufacture of bricks. Some years later it was restarted as a concrete block works with some sand and aggregate sales, which were obtained by re-working the sand burrows. The latter working ended in the late 1960s.

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