Liskeard mining District in 1863-A new publication

The kindle edition of ‘The Mining District of Liskeard in 1863’ has just been launched. This is an adaption of  Brenton Symons’s fascinating geological map of the Liskeard Mining District; a map printed  at the peak of the district’s production, at a time when the mines around Caradon dominated the Cornish Mining Industry.

Part of Brenton Symon's Map

The ebook contains much more than just images of the map. Each mine has a summary of its operations in 1863,  along with a potted history of its sett. The result is a handy guide to mines of Caradon, Menheniot and the Liskeard  areas.

My objective was to transpose the previous CD-ROM version of Symons’s map into a version that could easily be used whilst exploring the mine sites, and to supplement the paperback edition of Webb and Geach.  On the Kindle Fires it achieves that aim well, but  on the eink readers the lack of colour does not do the maps full justice. However, the text content of the book gives it some useful value on a traditional kindle.  It may be a good idea to try a sample first on an eink reader if that is going to be your platform. I have run the publication through various tablet and phone emulators and it looks pretty good…but feedback is always appreciated.

There are some elements of the CDROM that did not find an appropriate home in the new book, these will either be published in a separate book, adapted to blog posts. So if you download a copy of Brenton Symons’s map follow this blog to catch the posts.

---

Click here to download the book from my Amazon Store

The Road to Messines-Underground warfare on the Western front 1915-1917

On the 17th of February 2015 the Trevithick Society will be hosting a talk, by Rick Stewart,  on the amazing story of underground warfare on the Western Front.

 7:30pm at the  Liskeard Public Hall Liskeard  (in the Long Room). Non members welcome (£2 Door donation), and tea, coffee and the normal array of biccys will be available. If you are interested in mining history, or military history this will be a fascinating evening.

Rick Stewart is best-known as the author of the definitive book on the Devon Great Consols Mine and for  appearances on the Television Series ‘The Edwardian Farm’ , as its mining expert. His underground slant on the Great War is an evening to look forward to.

For more news about the Trevithick Society East Cornwall Branch follow their blog.

South Caradon Mine in the snow

Navsbooks>South Caradon Mine>

What an great opportunity,  blue sky, snow South Caradon Mine and a digital camera in the rucksack. 

It was just the perfect amount of snow to bring the detail of this amazing Cornish landscape to life. Every little feature highlighted by the deep contrast. The panorama above is taken from Pearce’s shaft looking across the Seaton Valley towards West Caradon Mine, and Craddock Moor Mine.

These buildings are at sump shaft; the site of William West’s first engines on the mine. These  engine houses are prominent on the skyline in that amazing Victorian photograph reproduced in my two books. West Caradon’s waste tips form the backdrop to this shot.

Pearce’s shaft, from the south. Pearce’s distinctive engine house breaks the skyline on the Victorian photograph, just right of centre.

And finally, Holman’s engine house, its bulk casting Sharp shadows across the untouched snow.

My two books, The Last Great Cornish Engineer and The History and Progress of Mining in the Liskeard and Caradon District can both be bought from the bookshop on the Parade at Liskeard, or if you are not in Cornwall they are available on  Amazon.