High Noon at Botallack
It is rare that high noon yields the best conditions for a photograph, but that is precisely when the turquoise water at the end of the Toe of Cornwall looks the most vibrant. Without the tin mines it might as well be the Caribbean. I was taking exposures up to 8 minutes and it was lovely to just lay in the sun in the grass.
Of course as with all mining sites in Cornwall, all you can see is far from all there is. While not as extensive as the workings of neighboring Levant Mine, the Crown Mines have shafts extending over 400 meters out to sea which go deeper than 500 meters below sea level. An influx of a cheaper supply of ore from Asia and Oceania combined with a decrease in demand led to the mine closing in 1895 after nearly 200 years of operation. Over 250 people were employed by the mine when it closed. There are rumors that due to the recent increases in tin prices due to demand from the electronics and renewable energy industries, several of the mines in Cornwall are being evaluated for reopening. South Crofty in particular plans to reopen in 2025.
Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 35 F1.4 lens at 240s, f/8, and ISO160.