Ding Dong mines

Did You Know?

• In Madron church there is a 'Ding Dong Bell' that was rung to mark the end of the last shift of the miners.
• According to a 1936 book by Henry R. Jennings, the name may refer to the 'head of the lode' or the outcrop of tin on the hill.
• A folk song called 'Ding Dong Mine' was written in 1986 by West-country singer Jerry Johnson.

History

Near the ruins of the Ding Dong mines lie several Bronze Age landmarks: the Nine Maidens Stone Circle, Carfury Standing Stone, Men-an-Tol, and Lanyon Quoit. Ding Dong is considered one of the oldest mines in the UK, with 22 tin lodes spread across over 500 acres. The earliest known mention comes from John Norden in the early 1700s. By 1714, three separate mines were operating: Good Fortune, Wheal Malkin, and Hard Shafts Bounds.

By 1782, sixteen mines were active in the area. The mine became famous in the 18th century due to a patent lawsuit. In 1796, a 28-inch cylinder inverted engine designed by Edward Bull, chief designer for Boulton and Watt, was installed at Ding Dong. James Watt considered this a violation of his condenser patent.

The following year, Richard Trevithick and William West inverted a conventional Boulton and Watt engine there. Trevithick had previously worked with his father at Wheal Treasury mine, and after boosting the operating pressure of the Bull engine, he was promoted to engineer at Ding Dong in 1796. The only remaining structure from his time is the ruined Count House. The Ding Dong mine itself was formed in 1813 by merging 16 smaller mines.

Although at least seven small operations had appeared by the mid-1700s, the name Ding Dong only became common after 1800. The mine reopened in 1814 and operated until July 11, 1877, when an auction to sell it as a working mine failed. An 1823 report noted the mine had been running for eight years, employed 120 men underground, used 900 pounds of candles and 300 pounds of gunpowder monthly, and pumped 50,000 gallons of water daily. It sat 400 feet above sea level and reached 600 feet deep. By 1839, the workforce had grown to 200–300 miners.

Legends

Another legend holds that Joseph of Arimathea visited the area with the young Jesus to address the miners; there is no evidence for these beliefs. An old miner told A. K. Hamilton Jenkin that Ding Dong was worked before the time of Jesus Christ. A folk song called 'Ding Dong Mine' written in 1986 by Jerry Johnson includes a verse about a disaster at the mine, though no official records confirm such an event.