The Rooftops of Redruth

Redruth railway viaduct and old fire station.... more

by Terri Waters

Title

The Rooftops of Redruth

Artist

Terri Waters

Medium

Photograph

Description

Redruth railway viaduct and old fire station.
The Old Fire Station in Falmouth Road, Redruth, Cornwall was built in 1913 on the site of the former Bethesda chapel. It is derelict now but the rotunda still stands proudly under the arches of the viaduct. Redruth railway viaduct was built in the 1850s. The original bridge was built of wood.
Historically, Redruth was a small market town overshadowed by its neighbours until a boom in the demand for copper ore during the 18th century. Copper ore had mostly been discarded by the Cornish tin-mining industry but was now needed to make brass, an essential metal in the Industrial Revolution. Surrounded by copper ore deposits, Redruth quickly became one of the largest and richest mining areas in Britain and the town's population grew markedly, although most miners' families remained poor.
By the end of the 19th century, the Cornish mining industry was in decline and Britain was importing most of its copper ore. To find employment, many miners emigrated to the newer mining industries in the Americas, Australasia and South Africa. Cornwall's last fully operational mine, South Crofty at Pool between Redruth and Camborne, closed in March 1998.

Uploaded

May 12th, 2015