The history of a 100-year-old cart emerging from a Cornish cliff

Following a precarious clear-up and some recent erosion, beach-goers have been noticing the cart and speculating how it got there

A 100-year-old cart is emerging from a cliff at Gwithian after vegetation was cleared from around it two years ago, and some more recent erosion, making it more visible. The cart is thought to be part of the Gwithian Tin Works, which lifted tin-rich sand from the beach below to a sifting site via an aerial ropeway. (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

1. 

   It is well known locally that Red River, which reaches the sea between Gwithian and Godrevy lighthouse, got its name because of the mining waste and deposits that discoloured the water – and still do, to some extent, after heavy rainfall. In David Oates’ comprehensive history of Gwithian Tin Sand Works on Cornish Story, he describes the river as “an industrial drain carrying tin waste and its accompanying toxic components discharged by many mines along its course.”

   According to Oates, “At one stage in relatively recent history, South Crofty had permission to discharge 750 tons of material into the river daily.”

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2. 

   The tin waste that ended up on the beach at Gwithian, presented an opportunity to extract the lucrative metal from the sand, and in 1913 Cornish Sands Limited set up a tin works at the mouth of the Red River, where The Rockpool café is currently situated (and was aptly named The Sandsifter for many years.)

   Although the location of the tin works meant that they could utilise the power of the water from the river, the sea currents and wind meant that the area of beach with the highest concentration of tin-rich sand was almost a mile away, near Peter’s Point.

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3. 

   For many years, the tin-rich sand was brought from the beach back up to the tin works by horse and cart. A cart-way through rock outcrops was even blasted out by miners so that the horse and cart could continue to work through high tide.

   David Oates writes: “Clearly this made an immense difference to the amount of tin sand recovered on any tide. The distance covered was marginally shorter and the recovery could continue from shortly after the tide began to drop until it regained that point again, possibly doubling or tripling the time available to work.”

   (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)3 of 16

4. 

   However, soon a more efficient way to transport the sand from the beach to tin works was developed, with the creation of a sophisticated aerial ropeway, which transported buckets of the tin-rich sand across the straightest route, regardless of the tide.

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5. 

   In his history of Gwithian Tin Sand Works, David Oates explains: “A series of pylons was constructed from the recovery works across the dune and cliff-top to a spot adjacent to the richest deposits. These supported an aerial ropeway carrying a continuous line of buckets from the source to the treatment works.”

   The concrete foundations of these pylons can still be found today, dotted across the dunes in a line from the beach to the Red River.

   (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)5 of 16

6. 

   Oates continues: “On reaching the point on the cliff-top nearest the deposits, where an engine to drive the mechanism was situated, a line ran from the cliff-top to an anchor point in the rocks on the beach from where the sand could be carried, without delay, back to the treatment works.”

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7. 

   The cliff where the cart can be seen today, marks the original point where the sand was lifted in buckets on the aerial ropeway up from the beach. However the cart itself and the rails below it are part of an improved system, which involved a tunnel leading up diagonally through the cliff, through which wagons could haul up the sand.

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8. 

   David Oates explains why the original method of lifting the sand straight up from the beach to the cliff-top by cable was abandoned: “This method, although a massive improvement in terms of the amounts recovered, was not as effective as the management considered it could be and an ambitious scheme was developed to drive a tunnel from the beach to the cliff-top terminus of the aerial ropeway.

   "This would enable wagons full of sand to be pulled to the cliff-top more efficiently than the spur down to the beach for the aerial ropeway and, again, presumably with mining expertise, a tunnel was driven.”

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9. 

   Oates continues: “Its entrance had doors of iron on it for security and was known locally as ‘Iron Doors’.” There is little evidence at the cave today that it once had iron doors, but it is believed that it also housed the digger or bulldozer which was used to dig up the sand from the beach at later dates.

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10. 

    Although this new method of bringing the sand up from the beach in wagons was more efficient, it was not a complete success, as Oates explains: “The geology of the cliff-face here, plus the fact that part of the cliff profile was actually made of blown sand, ensured that this was a failure. Recent erosion shows the line of this level and near the top of the cliff an abandoned wagon can still be seen, waiting for erosion to bring it on to the beach.”

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11. 

    While the wagon waits for erosion to bring it crashing down on to the beach, it was given a makeover in March 2019 by members of Carbis Bay Crew - a group of cavers, divers and climbers who, when they are not in lockdown, spend their spare time exploring Cornwall’s mines and helping to rescue any animals and people who happen to fall down them.

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12. 

    Dangling safely over the cliff-edge, members of the crew cleared away vegetation that was obscuring the cart, making it more visible for beach-goers to spot. Graham Wall and Sam Perkin from Carbis Bay Crew summarise the history of the cart, clearing up some of the recent speculation that it is a mine cart from the nearby Wheal Emily, a lead and copper mine which was abandoned in 1877.

    “OK, firstly it has nothing to do with Wheal Emily, it was built to take tin-rich sand from the beach up to where the Sandsifters restaurant is. Originally the tin rich sand was taken from the collection area along the beach to the separation works by horse and cart. However, because this was dependent on the state of the tide, a cart-way was blasted through the rocks near the high tide mark below the current RNLI lifeguard hut.”

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13. 

    They continue: “This arrangement worked for a while, but didn't really move enough sand to keep the works busy, so it was decided to put the aerial ropeway in, which terminated on the cliff-top just past the big car park towards Hayle."

    (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)13 of 16

14. 

    “A tunnel was dug from the beach up to the cliff-top and carts took the tin-bearing sand up to the ropeway, one of which is sticking out of cliff."

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15. 

    “The tunnel entrance had doors fitted to it and the digger was kept in there when not in use.

    “The beach end of the tunnel, being cut in rock is still there, but erosion has all but destroyed the tunnel in the softer ground above it.

    “The ropeway can still be traced by the concrete mast anchors across the dunes and some of the wire ropeway is buried in the gravel pits near the road.”

    (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)15 of 16

16. 

    The Gwithian Tin Sand Works shut down just over 80 years ago at the beginning of the Second World War, but it is safe to assume that the cart in the cliff is closer to 100 years old, as it would have been part of the operation for many years before the closure.

    This unexpected slice of history jutting out of a cliff at Gwithian, can be added to an ever-growing list of obscurities emerging from the three-mile stretch of sand, which already includes a Victorian shipwreck, a 30-year-old Land Rover, and a mysterious road to nowhere in the middle of the beach.

    (Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)