Burgotha Wood

Wood, Forest in Cornwall

England

Burgotha Wood

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This was a picture of the top chamber with the indoor end of the beam before the stairs became even softer and the roof was damaged by high winds. The beam was a replacement by Holman Bros of camborne in 1928. The engine ceased work in about 1955. 

Its removal was just in time, as the air pump and condenser had already fallen down the unstable shaft and part of the engine house followed not long after the engine's safe removal. The remainder of the house was then quickly demolished.

There is now only one engine in situ 'in the clay' - that at Parkandillick.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine Credit: Chris Allen

Burgotha Wood is a picturesque forest located in Cornwall, England. Covering an area of approximately 100 hectares, it is a haven for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike. The wood is situated near the village of Burgotha, which lends its name to this beautiful natural wonder.

This ancient woodland boasts a diverse array of flora and fauna, making it a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts. The wood is predominantly composed of native broadleaf trees, including oak, ash, beech, and hazel. These towering trees create a dense canopy, providing a cool and shaded environment for visitors to explore.

Walking trails crisscross the wood, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in its tranquil beauty. The trails are well-maintained, making it accessible for all ages and abilities. Along the way, visitors can spot a variety of wildlife, including deer, badgers, foxes, and an abundance of bird species.

Burgotha Wood also holds historical significance. It is believed to have been a part of the ancient Celtic landscape, with remnants of iron age settlements found within its boundaries. These archaeological remains serve as a testament to the wood's long and rich history.

The wood is not only a natural gem but also a vital habitat for numerous endangered species. Conservation efforts are in place to protect and preserve the delicate balance of this unique ecosystem.

In conclusion, Burgotha Wood is a captivating forest in Cornwall that offers a delightful escape into nature. Its breathtaking scenery, diverse wildlife, and historical significance make it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

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Burgotha Wood Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 50.361085/-4.9060993 or Grid Reference SW9355. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This was a picture of the top chamber with the indoor end of the beam before the stairs became even softer and the roof was damaged by high winds. The beam was a replacement by Holman Bros of camborne in 1928. The engine ceased work in about 1955. 

Its removal was just in time, as the air pump and condenser had already fallen down the unstable shaft and part of the engine house followed not long after the engine's safe removal. The remainder of the house was then quickly demolished.

There is now only one engine in situ 'in the clay' - that at Parkandillick.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine
50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This was a picture of the top chamber with the indoor end of the beam before the stairs became even softer and the roof was damaged by high winds. The beam was a replacement by Holman Bros of camborne in 1928. The engine ceased work in about 1955. Its removal was just in time, as the air pump and condenser had already fallen down the unstable shaft and part of the engine house followed not long after the engine's safe removal. The remainder of the house was then quickly demolished. There is now only one engine in situ 'in the clay' - that at Parkandillick.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This is a view of the bottom chamber with the driver's position and the cylinder behind on the right. The 'gearwork' is typical three arbor gearwork with a double plug rod and cataracts for pauses on the indoor and outdoor strokes. The engine has a single perpendicular pipe connecting the two ends of the cylinder.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine
50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is a view of the bottom chamber with the driver's position and the cylinder behind on the right. The 'gearwork' is typical three arbor gearwork with a double plug rod and cataracts for pauses on the indoor and outdoor strokes. The engine has a single perpendicular pipe connecting the two ends of the cylinder.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine. 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This is the middle chamber showing the top of the steam cylinder with the false cover and the metallic packing for the piston rod. Beyond that is the top nozzle box with the governor, steam inlet and equilibrium valves. Above, one can see parts of the parallel motion with the plug rod descending beyond the top nozzles to operate the valve gear. This was in the days when the staircase was just strong enough to allow access to the higher levels. On a later visit I was restricted to the lower chamber.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine.
50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is the middle chamber showing the top of the steam cylinder with the false cover and the metallic packing for the piston rod. Beyond that is the top nozzle box with the governor, steam inlet and equilibrium valves. Above, one can see parts of the parallel motion with the plug rod descending beyond the top nozzles to operate the valve gear. This was in the days when the staircase was just strong enough to allow access to the higher levels. On a later visit I was restricted to the lower chamber.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This is a close up of the middle chamber with the valve box to the right and the plug rods operating the valve gear to the left. Between are the rods and operating levers for the governor, steam and equilibrium valves. The device with the ratchet and bevel gears is the St Austell governor. This is a safety feature that closes the governor valve if the engine stroke length begins to increase. It is, however, defenceless in the face of a catastrophic failure - eg the main pump rod parting.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine
50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is a close up of the middle chamber with the valve box to the right and the plug rods operating the valve gear to the left. Between are the rods and operating levers for the governor, steam and equilibrium valves. The device with the ratchet and bevel gears is the St Austell governor. This is a safety feature that closes the governor valve if the engine stroke length begins to increase. It is, however, defenceless in the face of a catastrophic failure - eg the main pump rod parting.
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine 50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle.

This is outside the front of the engine house over the shaft leading to the bottom of the claypit. On the right is the large timber main pump rod. To its left is a disconnected auxiliary pump. Then further left is the rotten wooden cistern holding the condenser (hidden) and the air pump that is worked off the beam. Above and behind the airpump is the boiler feed pump and then above and behind that is the 'plug door' into the lower chamber of the engine house.

Some years later the condenser cistern and its contents slipped down the shaft. Following removal of the engine, part of the house went the same way (the people who removed this engine were dicing with death) and the remainder was demolished immediately after.

This is an overall view of the front of the house - <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/478355">SW9455 : Goonvean China Clay works</a> <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/629788">SW9455 : Cornish engine, Goonvean</a>
Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine
50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is outside the front of the engine house over the shaft leading to the bottom of the claypit. On the right is the large timber main pump rod. To its left is a disconnected auxiliary pump. Then further left is the rotten wooden cistern holding the condenser (hidden) and the air pump that is worked off the beam. Above and behind the airpump is the boiler feed pump and then above and behind that is the 'plug door' into the lower chamber of the engine house. Some years later the condenser cistern and its contents slipped down the shaft. Following removal of the engine, part of the house went the same way (the people who removed this engine were dicing with death) and the remainder was demolished immediately after. This is an overall view of the front of the house - SW9455 : Goonvean China Clay works SW9455 : Cornish engine, Goonvean
Burthy china clay quarry and trig point Since the photo was taken the quarry has been extended and the trig point lost, see <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://trigpointinguk.com/trigs/trig-details.php?t=1801" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://trigpointinguk.com/trigs/trig-details.php?t=1801">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
Burthy china clay quarry and trig point
Since the photo was taken the quarry has been extended and the trig point lost, see LinkExternal link
Carrick : Seaview Terrace Houses on Seaview Terrace and a small lane heading down the hill.
Carrick : Seaview Terrace
Houses on Seaview Terrace and a small lane heading down the hill.
Imery's Dry Mining Processor China clay production was shifted from HP water to dry mining techniques a few years ago. The kaolinised granite is fed into the £6 million mill. This shows the end part of the mill with the sand buckets, cylone pumps (remove mica) and gravel conveyor.
Imery's Dry Mining Processor
China clay production was shifted from HP water to dry mining techniques a few years ago. The kaolinised granite is fed into the £6 million mill. This shows the end part of the mill with the sand buckets, cylone pumps (remove mica) and gravel conveyor.
Imery's Dry Mining Processor China clay production was shifted from HP water to dry mining techniques a few years ago. The kaolinised granite is fed into the £6 million mill. This shows the end part of the mill with the sand buckets, cylone pumps (remove mica) and gravel conveyor.

<a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3411280">SW9355 : Imery's Dry Mining Processor</a>
Imery's Dry Mining Processor
China clay production was shifted from HP water to dry mining techniques a few years ago. The kaolinised granite is fed into the £6 million mill. This shows the end part of the mill with the sand buckets, cylone pumps (remove mica) and gravel conveyor. SW9355 : Imery's Dry Mining Processor
Clay Pit, near Menna
Clay Pit, near Menna
The approach road to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC)
The approach road to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC)
Former St Stephen Methodist Church
Former St Stephen Methodist Church
Trethosa Methodist Church
Trethosa Methodist Church
Treviscoe Methodist Church
Treviscoe Methodist Church
Conical spoil heap from China Clay extraction The conical hill seen in the centre of the image is a spoil heap from the Wheal Remfrey China Clay workings. The view is from next to <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7587507">SW9558 : St Dennis - Church of St Dennis</a>
Conical spoil heap from China Clay extraction
The conical hill seen in the centre of the image is a spoil heap from the Wheal Remfrey China Clay workings. The view is from next to SW9558 : St Dennis - Church of St Dennis
Parkandillack Engine House Photographed in 1980.
Parkandillack Engine House
Photographed in 1980.
St Dennis: derelict barns at Treviscoe Barton Beyond one of the barns an overshot waterwheel survived in its wheelpit in 1998
St Dennis: derelict barns at Treviscoe Barton
Beyond one of the barns an overshot waterwheel survived in its wheelpit in 1998
Agricultural Land and Spoil Heap This massive spoil heap from the china clay workings juts into the northeast corner of this grid square.
Agricultural Land and Spoil Heap
This massive spoil heap from the china clay workings juts into the northeast corner of this grid square.
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Burgotha Wood is located at Grid Ref: SW9355 (Lat: 50.361085, Lng: -4.9060993)

Unitary Authority: Cornwall

Police Authority: Devon and Cornwall

What 3 Words

///hardening.fondest.craters. Near St Stephen, Cornwall

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 50.361085,-4.9060993
St Stephen 33kV Solar Park
Brand: National Grid
Brand Wikidata: Q1465461
Operator: National Grid Electricity Distribution Plc
Operator Old: Western Power Distribution
Operator Wikidata: Q7988183
Owner: National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) Plc
Owner Wikidata: Q114397866
Power: substation
Ref GB Wpd Site: 438094
Voltage: 33000
Lat/Long: 50.3580951/-4.9044192
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

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