28/5/2021

Evening meeting (28^th May) led by Eric with members from the Balwest society on Carn Marth Carn Marth is an ancient hill of granite to the southeast of Redruth. Standing at 771 ft tall (235m), it’s the highest point in the area and offers some pretty spectacular views of the surrounding area. You can see both coasts on a clear day and all the way up to St Agnes beacon, the St Austell area, Falmouth

On the way up to the top we pass the Pennance mine which was also known as Wheal Amelia and worked as a copper mine from 1850 to 1866 then as a tin mine and finally closed in 1874

Next as we ascend this granite hilltop we pass a quarry, quarrying granite lasted for almost 200 years; the first quarry we arrive at is now become a Amphitheater

View, first looking east we see Carn Brea, also east Bassett mine can be seen and below south Lanner

At the summit we find another quarry which was abandoned as it became full of water Ganite from Carn Marth was used to form some of the sleepers of the Redruth to Chacewater Railway, with each sleeper costing one shilling. Some of the granite from the hill went towards the mine engine buildings of a number of Gwennap mines and as part of the stamps. In 1825, the front wall of Wesley Chapel, just above the train station, was built from fine Carn Marth granite; however, this was not the only one, with it’s granite becoming a core constituent of several churches in the area, including the 1903 renovation of Lanner’s Wesley Chapel.

Granite protruding through the shallow soil at this height

Track left led to Carharrack, middle to Redruth and right back to Lanner