Levant, Botallack and the Crowns Trail

Welcome, curious travelers and scholars of industrial history, to the wild, windswept precipice of the Cornish coast. We stand today at the National Trust Count House at Botallack, the gateway to an environment that is as…

We have now arrived at a rather overgrown and mysterious section of the Botallack site, known historically as the Kenidjack arsenic works. As you observe the long, low stone and brick tunnels snaking through the undergrowth, you…

Continuing along the rugged track, we reach the atmospheric ruins of Wheal Owles. For those with a fondness for television drama, this particular site may spark an immediate flicker of recognition. …

As we descend a steeper section of the coastal path toward Botallack Head, perhaps navigating the bumpy, uneven terrain that makes this walk so deeply authentic, we are rewarded with one of the most magnificent and iconic…

Having absorbed the dramatic verticality of the Crowns, we now turn our attention northward, joining a broader track of the South West Coast Path as we make our way toward the Levant mine. This transitionary space between the two…

We have now arrived at the expansive surface complex of the Levant mine, beautifully maintained by the National Trust. As you stand before the towering metal headgear and the dark, square-based chimney stacks that define the…

Step inside the substantial stone walls of the engine house, and prepare to be genuinely humbled by a piece of living history. Dominating the interior of this room is the Levant beam engine. …

As we move to the area adjacent to the main winding engine, we arrive at a location that commands solemn respect. This is the site of the man engine shaft. …

As our exploration of Levant, Botallack, and the Crowns trail draws to a close, let us pause and gaze out over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean one final time. We have walked in the footsteps of nineteenth century…