Joseph Thomas Treffry had bought and leased land and mines, even created a harbour and canal and had a good attempt at a railway line, but it was the success of the incline that properly propelled his enterprise.
To construct the Carmears Incline he utilised the experience of the distinguished engineer, James Meadows Rendel, and the idea took shape. He designed aroute from the canal basin at the bottom of the valley, past the Carmears Rocks, to the top of the valley, then a less demanding line through Luxulyan and on to its terminus at the Bugle Inn.
Their only snag was how to power the winding drum at the top of the inclined plane. They employed a large waterwheel (The Carmears Wheel), but in order to deliver the water to the wheel, they had to cross the ‘elephant in the room’ – the whopping great gorge! It just so happened that they had a plan for this as well and the monumental Treffry aqueduct/ viaduct was born. This was all happening circa 1840.
The elaborate leat channelled the water and got the wheels turning and the incline was in operation.
Nowadays you can walk alongside the leat system and upon the actual inclined plane! Granite footings are still in situ here and there – there’s nothing like an industrial site for a fully-justified trip hazard!
When the route was altered, in the 1870s, so that locomotives could pull the wagons on a shallower route by the Cornwall Mineral Railway Co, the Big Wheel at the top of the incline was used for grinding stone instead – brilliant!
Luxulyan Valley, Par, Cornwall
Joseph Thomas Treffry had bought and leased land and mines, even created a harbour and canal and had a good attempt at a railway line, but it was the success of the incline that properly propelled his enterprise.
To construct the Carmears Incline he utilised the experience of the distinguished engineer, James Meadows Rendel, and the idea took shape. He designed aroute from the canal basin at the bottom of the valley, past the Carmears Rocks, to the top of the valley, then a less demanding line through Luxulyan and on to its terminus at the Bugle Inn.
Their only snag was how to power the winding drum at the top of the inclined plane. They employed a large waterwheel (The Carmears Wheel), but in order to deliver the water to the wheel, they had to cross the ‘elephant in the room’ – the whopping great gorge! It just so happened that they had a plan for this as well and the monumental Treffry aqueduct/ viaduct was born. This was all happening circa 1840.
The elaborate leat channelled the water and got the wheels turning and the incline was in operation.
Nowadays you can walk alongside the leat system and upon the actual inclined plane! Granite footings are still in situ here and there – there’s nothing like an industrial site for a fully-justified trip hazard!
When the route was altered, in the 1870s, so that locomotives could pull the wagons on a shallower route by the Cornwall Mineral Railway Co, the Big Wheel at the top of the incline was used for grinding stone instead – brilliant!
Luxulyan Valley, Par, Cornwall
