Bodelva Pit
Bodelva, St Blaise, Cornwall, England, UK
Bodelva pit is a former china clay pit which is now the site of the Eden Project visitors attraction.
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Bodelva pit may also be referred to as the Carvear China Clay works, but really these are two pits – the Carvear pit and the Bodelva pit. Carvear was not worked much after the second world war, until the 1950s, when the pits were combined.
Something quite interesting about the pit – the clay was stained pink, which limited its value for the production of newsprint with one exception, the Financial Times, which is printed on pink paper – the source of which was, once, the Bodelva pit.
Various minerals are known from the site, including kaolinite and cassiterite; however, no further specimens will be found here!
The clay pit was used for over 160 years, but was exhausted by the mid 90s. In 2000, the Eden Project opened on the site.
Further reading
- https://www.mindat.org/loc-1205.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_Project
- https://www.wwjohnston.net/famhist/bodelva-carvear.htm
- https://www.creativebrief.com/bite/fuel-your-imagination/financial-times-campaign-tells-story-of-its-pink-sheets
If you are interested in other classic British locales we may have stock from the following locales.
British locales
I have only included the pieces attributed to specific places; not simply 'Weardale' for example.
Click here for a full list of British minerals.
Angus, Scotland Bridgend, Wales Ceredigion, Wales
- Bwlch Glas Mine, Tal-y-bont, Ceulanymaesmawr, Ceredigion, Wales
- Cwmystwyth Mine, Cwmystwyth, Upper Llanfihangell-y-Creuddyn, Ceredigion, Wales
- Bodelva Pit, Bodelva, St Blaise, Cornwall
- Dean Quarry, St Keverne, Cornwall
- Geevor Mine, Pendeen, St Just, Cornwall
- Great South Tolgus, Tarewaste, Cornwall
- Goonbarrow China Clay Pit, Bugle, Treverbyn, Cornwall
- Greystone Quarry, Lezant, Cornwall
- High Cross, Brill, Constantine, Cornwall
- Hingston Down Quarry, Gunnislake, Cornwall
- Melbur China Clay Pit, St Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall
- Megiliggar Rocks (Tremearne pegmatite), Breage, Cornwall
- Penberthy Croft Mine, St Hilary, Cornwall
- Penlee Quarry, Newlyn, Penzance, Cornwall, UK
- Pentireglaze Mine, Polzeath, St Minver, Cornwall
- Restormel Royal Iron Mine, Lostwithiel, Cornwall - formerly Trinity Mine
- South Caradon Mine, St Cleer, Cornwall
- South Crofty Mine, Pool, Carn Brea, Cornwall
- Trevarthian Downs Mine (Trevarthen Mine), St Hilary, Cornwall
- Trevinnick Mine, St Kew, Cornwall
- West Wheal Jewel, St Day, Cornwall
- Wheal Cock, St Just, Cornwall
- Wheal Pendarves, Killivose, Camborne, Cornwall
- Wheal Remfry China Clay Pit, Fraddon, St Enoder, Cornwall
- Wheal Sparnon, Redruth, Cornwall
- Wheal Wrey, St Ive, Cornwall
- Newlandside Quarry, Stanhope, County Durham
- Old Towns Quarry, Heighington, Darlington, County Durham
- Pike Law Mines, Newbiggin, County Durham
- Brandy Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria
- Carrock Mine, Caldbeck Falls, Cumbria
- Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Falls, Cumbria
- Eskett Quarry, Copeland, Cumbria
- Florence-Ullcoats Mine, Egremont, Cumbria
- Force Crag Mine, Coledale, Above Derwent, Allerdale, Cumbria
- Goose Green Mine, Frizington, Cumbria
- Hartley Birkett Mine, Hartley, Eden, Cumbria
- Kinniside Mine, Copeland, Cumbria
- Mexico Mine, Roughton Gill, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria
- Mowbray mine, Frizington, Cumbria
- Old Brandlehow Mine, Keswich, Cumbria
- Red Gill Mine, Roughton Gill, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, uk
- Roughton Gill Mine, Caldbeck Falls, Cumbria
- Smallcleugh mine, Nenthead, Alston, Cumbria.
- Bampfylde Mine, North Molton, North Devon, Devon
- Bere Alston Mines, Bere Ferrers, West Devon, Devon
- Brent Hill Outcrop, South Brent, South Hams District, Devon
- Drakelands Mine, Sparkwell, Devon
- George and Charlotte Mine, Devon and Cornwall United Mines, Gulworthy, Devon
- Great Rock Mine, Hennock, Teignbridge, Devon
- Hemerdon Mine, Sparkwell, Devon
- High Down Quarry, West Buckland, Devon
- Littleham Bay, Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, Devon
- Meldon Quarry, Okehampton Hamlets, Devon, UK
- New England Quarry, Yealmpton, Devon
- South Bedford Mine, Gulworthy, Devon
- Virtuous Lady Mine, Buckland, Devon
- Wheal Exmouth, Christow, Teignbridge, Devon
- Whitestone Quarry, Bovey Tracey, Teignbridge, Devon
- Coatsgate Quarry, Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
- Old Glencrieff Vein, Wanlockhead, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
- Chipping Sodbury Quarry - formerly Hampstead Farm Quarry
- Hampstead Farm Quarry, now Chipping Sodbury Quarry
- Breedon Hill Quarry, Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire
- Croft Quarry, Croft, Leicestershire
- New Cliffe Hill Quarry, Cliffe Hill Quarry, Stanton under Bardon, Leicestershire
- Newhurst Quarry, Shepshed, Leicestershire
For the rest of our British stock, see below.