Geevor Tin Mine

Geevor tin mine was originally a small operation known as Wheal an Giver, meaning something like "goat mine" and perhaps referring to the other occupants of the workplace. In the 19th century, it was worked as East Levant Mine and later as North Levant, after which it closed. In the early 20th century, tin prices rose rapidly. An Australian Gold mining company bought this and a number of neighbouring mines and the mine re-opened in 1911 and worked throughout most of the 20th century, annexing some of the neighbouring workings. In 1985, the International Tin Council collapsed and there was a dramatic fall in the price of tin. The mine closed in 1990 and pumps were switched off in 1991, allowing the workings to flood. Whilst it was working, over a million gallons of water was pumped from the mine daily and during the 20th Century, it produced about 50,000 tons of "black tin" (concentrated tin ore). The mine is not geologically exhausted of tin, but the tin remaining is currently not recoverable economically. It is now a museum and heritage centre left as a living history of a working tin mine and is the largest preserved mining site in the United Kingdom.