... began in the early Bronze Age, around 2150 BC. Tin, and later copper, were the most commonly extracted metals; others included lead, iron, silver, zinc, tungsten and arsenic.
By the 1880s, the industry had become largely uneconomic. Some tin mining continued, but the final blow came in 1985 with the end of the International Tin Agreement and the subsequent collapse of the world tin price. The last Cornish mine to close was South Crofty in 1998. Tin deposits still exist in Cornwall however, and there has been talk of reopening South Crofty.
Metals were mined to a lesser extent in Devon, where the word 'wheal' was also used. Wikipedia lists over 40 former mines in Cornwall and Devon, almost half of which have 'Wheal' in their names. One of them, Wheal Jane, made headlines in the early 1990s when it became flooded two years after closing, due to the inactivity of its pumps. The acidic water flowed into the Carnon river and eventually into Falmouth Bay, causing death and contamination to local wildlife.
© Haydn Thompson 2020