New; I have been lucky enough to be able to speak to Henry Sandon MBE at Worcester Porcelain Museum in person about the book. Henry has been interested in the quarry sites for over 40 years and is very knowledgeable on the subject. The National trust has allowed partial clearance of the site at Wheal Foss exposing unrivalled history of a quarry not viewed for 200 years. The site has opened up much new information being obtained from the site. The quarry is close to the Teneriffe Farm Campsite owned by the National Trust.  ISBN 978-0-9569895-0-5 "Soaprock Coast , the origins of English Porcelain" is a new book about the history of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. It uncovers a previously untold story. £9.99 plus P&P (UK) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For more information Contact; Bob Felce Telephone: 01326 241970 (UK) e-mail: r.felce@gmail.com ________________________________ Book design by Westcountry Printing and Publishing, Churchtown, Mullion, Cornwall. TR12 7HQ Tel; 01326 241341 All photographs on this site are the property of Robert Felce and may not be reproduced without permission The book is an account of a previously untold story of Cornish History. A story of quarrying and mining of soapstone (also known as Soaprock, or Steatite) on a 5 mile stretch of the west coast of the Lizard Peninsula , between locations known as Caerthillian/Pentreath and Mullion Cove over 260 years ago between 1748 and the 1820s. Soapstone was used to manufacture soft paste Porcelain in locations such as Bristol, London, Worcester, Liverpool, Shropshire and South Wales at a time when nearly every piece of existing Porcelain in this country had to be imported from China by sea-going trading ships. The consumption of tea and coffee had risen dramatically in the early 1700s, initially among the more wealthy social classes, but was spreading nationwide. Its consumption quickly spread , but in the early part of the 18th century english earthenware teapots,coffee pots, and cups could not withstand the temperature of boiling water and regularly cracked, crazed & broke, rendering them unusable. The Chinese secret for manufacturing porcelain was discovered via a French Jesuit priest called Pere Xavier D`Entrecolles who went to the porcelain producing region of China in 1698 and his observations in the form of lengthy letters about the chinese methodss and materials were sent back home. By the 1730s the knowledge contained within these letters was known in England and other European countries, however , knowledge about the materials used were less well known. A search continued for these materials, along with much experimentation among the small factories of the early porcelain potters into the methods of manufacture. A material, known by a number of different names such as Soapstone, Steatite, "Soaprock" or Soapy Clay, was initially found many years earlier and described in detail by such eminent 18th century geologists as the Cornish clergyman William Borlase. It was first quarried from 1748 at Gew Graze, sometimes known as "Soapy Cove" on the west coast of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, but by 1752 industrial activity had spread over a 5 mile stretch of the coast from Caerthillian/Pentreath to Mullion Cove, as well as inland on the Lizard Downs. The remains of this piece of industrial Cornish heritage have almost disappeared from the landscape but the story remains in the thousands of collectable pieces of porcelain still in existence after more than 250 years. On the ground there are quarry sites and even underground mine workings which can still be seen. Many thousands of people visit the area to walk, enjoy the rare fauna, flora and scenery or just to take in the wonderful coastal views ......... not knowing that they are looking at a piece of lost and almost forgotten industrial Heritage. Interesting fact ......Source Daily Telegraph 26th October 2011 "Tea drinkers in the UK consume 165 million cups of tea a day... or 62 billion per year." and the story had a beginning on Cornwalls Lizard Peninsula ...  Above; Modern day Mullion Cove, a landscape hewn out of the cliffs by the 18th century Soapstone quarrymen and miners. ******************************************** The sites where the Soapstone was quarried under Licence from the Lizard Landowners of the time included ; 1.From 1748 -Gew Graze or "Soapy Cove"  Above; The high cliffs around Gew Graze (Soapy Cove) were found to contain large amounts of soft clay like soapstone.  Above; Low tide at Gew Graze. Foreground- "Lund arch" (Ogo Pons) Leading up the cliffside as a cliff quarry. The Soapstone vein is still visible in the arch roof.  Above; One of the early soapstone cliff quarries leading from the beach to the top on Predannack Downs. This quarry is an extension of Ogo Pons described above, and the photograph is taken from the inner opening of the archway looking NE. 2.From 1751 -Caerthillian/Pentreath,Lizard Downs  Above;The soapstone quarries cut into the cliff from the beach at Pentreath ( Important Note; The beach has an official Council notice warning of a dangerous path leading down to ground level)  Above;The remains of one of the 18th Century soapstone quarries cut into the cliff from Pentreath beach. ( Important Note; The beach has an official Council notice warning of a dangerous path leading down to ground level) 3.From 1752 -Mullion Cove coastal cliffs.  Above; Entrance to Torchlight Cave Mine. Mullion Cove was often visited by Victorian tourists. "Torchlight" was then known as a "sea cave". It is in fact only visible from the seaward side. https://sites.google.com/site/torchlightcavemullioncove/ Through the entrance the cave turns south and using a large torch, a worked out "stope" can be seen which is over 50 yards in length.The remains of a wide soapstone vein can still be seen near the roof. It is believed to be the only known soapstone "mine" in the country. The soapstone would be removed up the cliff using rope winches& metal buckets or "kibbles". Today, access can be gained with care at very low tides..... It is without doubt the most impressive sight on the Cove, yet it is almost totally hidden from view.It was said that in the mid 1800s a local fisherman called Sam Hitchens lived in the cave for a time & could often be seen with his torch of lighted furze.  Above; Sandy Vro is now only accessible by sea, yet in the mid 18th century the soapstone quarrymen were able to tunnel through the serpentine promontory adjacent to Tonkens Point into Sandy Vro producing a "Level" from which they mined upwards, removing a wide soapstone vein, using a traditional Cornish mining technique called Overhand Stoping.  Above; Looking from NE to SW. Often said to be the haunts of smugglers -and they were no doubt regularly used to store contraband, the tunnels are remarkably well hidden from view  Above; Looking NE from Sandy Vro through the mining "Level". 250 years of sea action has now created smooth walls Also later at Penruddock Quarry, Daroose, Wheal Foss,Lizard Commons,Predannack Wartha, Predannack Woollas, Meaver (Mullion Village)  Above; Penruddock Soapstone Quarry . Later used to extract serpentine for Cornish hedges. The Soapstone was transported by sea and sent to locations where the porcelain potters had their factories and was used to manufacture practical, yet exquisitly decorated soft paste Porcelain which was able to withstand the temperature of boiling water, thus allowing the products such as teapots, coffee pots,tea and coffee cups and saucers and dinner services to be used without them cracking, breaking or "flying" (as it was called in the 18th Century). The first factory to use the Soapstone was that of Benjamin Lund at Bristol, followed by Nicholas Crisp and John Sanders from Vauxhall in London. In 1751 the Worcester Porcelain Factory was founded at Warmstry House on the banks of the River Severn in Worcester and the following year in 1752 they took over the Lund porcelain factory and moved everything to Worcester. They also took over the Licence to quarry and mine for Soapstone on the Lizard. Worcester went on to be the largest users of soapstone delivering hundreds of tons from a variety of locations for the manufacturing process. Other porcelain potters including Richard Chaffers and Phillip Christian from Liverpool, Thomas Turner from Caughley in Shropshire, Badeley and Yates from Shropshire, and the South Wales pottery all obtained Licences to quarry and mine in the Mullion area. IMPORTANT NOTE This is an information site only and no liability can be accepted for any injury or loss incurred by individuals visiting the sites described on the website or in the book. ********************** |
