In the picture #6
Posted by Eddie Dyke
Between 1840 and 1900 the Devon Great Consol, the copper mine at Gulworthy, was the richest and most productive mine in the world. By 1901 the mine was run down and the 7th Duke of Bedford, who owned the land, decreed that all but one part of the great mine was to be demolished and returned to forest by planting thousands of conifers.
Wheal Josiah was the part of the mine that remained. At that time the boll weevil was prevalent in the cotton fields of the southern USA, and the only known pesticide was arsenic, a by-product of the Devon Great Consul and arsenic processing plant was built at Josiah. Production continued until the mid-1920s, with the refined arsenic being shipped out from nearby Morwellham Quay.
Much of the machinery still stands today, hidden in the forest thoughtfully planted by the duke.
If you liked this story, you could buy us a coffee --------------------------------------------------------------------November 18th, 2007
