Prince of Wales Mine & Wheal Brothers Circular Walk

Just after the second milestone, the cycle track switches to the south side of the A390. Cross with care, then head down a track towards Lower Mount Pleasant Farm, passing the Tamar View Holiday Park. The first field gate right gives a view across the fields towards the Prince of Wales Mine. The track ends at gates to houses; here turn right over a stile into a field (the right of way on the OS map takes a different line from that signed on the ground). Bear half-left across the field towards the substantial ruins of the Prince of Wales Mine (named after the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert). Cross a stile next to a gate. A few steps on you have a choice of route. OPTION 1 Turn left through a kissing gate and follow a waymarked permissive path, keeping left at an early junction. The path bears right around the site, passing remnants of mine structures (including Watson’s Shaft winding whim engine house and boiler house) and mounds and pits shrouded with vegetation, to reach a lane via a kissing gate – a useful information board nearby explains what you’ve been looking at! Copper was mined here until the late 1870s when tin, found at greater depths, became more important. OPTION 2 Follow the public footpath ahead along a track, passing a chimney and a ruined engine house (Watson’s Shaft pumping engine house and boiler house), and later more ruins (Stamps engine house and chimney), to reach the lane. Turn left, downhill, to reach the kissing gate at Point 3 and keep straight on, re-joining the route.