Some Cornish mine workings can be entered through a passage that descends from the surface. In one local recollection, a mine more than two and a half centuries old remains accessible through a locked entrance on a mining trail. Its pedestrian route is said to predate the shaft arrangements used to lift workers in and out. The estimated walkable depth is about 70 fathoms before further descent needs assistance. This older access route takes visitors underground without the vertical cage descent familiar from later mines.
Notable Point · 47:43-48:31
Cornish mines before mechanical shaft access
Old Cornish workings could extend deep underground while remaining accessible on foot.