-unique survivorOnly a century ago Tolgus was one of many hundreds of stream works (fifteen in this valley alone), each one processing waste discarded by the mines or other mills - scavengers of the tin industry.  In 1865 it was one of a group acquired by John, James and Tobias Uren on their return from the Australian gold rush. Most of these mills have now vanished without trace; but Tolgus remains, a unique survivor of a bygone age when 'Fish, Tin and Copper' were the bone, muscle and fat of the county. Tolgus was the only surviving tin streaming mill which had a record of production unbroken for over 200 years, producing over 40 tons of tin concentrate a year. If this seems a small amount remember that their raw material was someone else's waste, but from it they could produce an income of around £40,000 per year (1979 prices). We think you will enjoy your tour of the Mill more by spending a little time in the Exhibition first: this will give you some background knowledge of Cornwall and its mining history, and will also introduce you to the ingenious and probably unfamiliar machines used by the old tin streamers, before you actually see them in use in the Mill. |
