Levant Mine

Levant Mine extends beneath the Atlantic Ocean, its workings reaching depths of over 2,000 feet below sea level—one of Cornwall’s most ambitious and dangerous mining ventures. Operational from the 18th century until 1930, Levant was the scene of multiple tragedies, but none more devastating than the man-engine disaster of October 20, 1919. The man-engine—a mechanical device that carried miners up and down the shaft on rods—failed catastrophically, plunging 31 men to their deaths and injuring many more. The disaster, one of the worst in British mining history, left an indelible mark on Levant that persists to this day.

The restored mine, now managed by the National Trust, is intensely haunted. The headstock and shaft area are the epicenter of paranormal activity. On the anniversary of the disaster, and sometimes at random throughout the year, witnesses report hearing the catastrophic sounds of the man-engine failure—the screech of breaking metal, the rumble of falling machinery, and most horrifically, the screams of 31 men plummeting to their deaths. The sounds are so realistic and disturbing that some visitors have called emergency services, believing a real accident has occurred. Staff members refuse to work alone near the shaft on October 20th, the disaster’s anniversary, when the phenomena intensify dramatically.

The underground sections accessible to visitors echo with the sounds of mining work—pickaxes, drilling, and men calling to each other in Cornish dialect. Witnesses report seeing lights moving in tunnels that extend beneath the sea, where the sound of waves can be heard through the rock overhead—a constant reminder of the ocean’s proximity that terrified miners who worked in these unimaginably dangerous conditions. The apparitions of miners in early 20th-century clothing are regularly seen in the engine houses and around the mine buildings, their faces showing the exhaustion and fear of men working miles beneath the seabed. The smell of candle tallow, dynamite, and sea air manifests without explanation. Most disturbing are reports from the shaft itself, where witnesses standing at the top report hearing voices calling for help from the depths, and seeing shadowy figures climbing the emergency ladders—the ghosts of those who tried desperately to escape the 1919 disaster but never reached the surface alive. Levant Mine stands as a monument to Cornwall’s mining heritage and the terrible price paid by those who dug beneath the ocean for tin.