During the early 1850’s a number of tin miners and their families from Breage left the mines for work at Herodsfoot, the number is high over 45. We know some came from Great Work mine from a recent contact, a lady whose husbands great grandfather was a miner on tribute at Herodsfoot, his wife and daughter also found work here presumably as bal maidens.

At this time Great Work was a working successful mine and along with Wheal Vor were for a time amongst the most productive in Cornwall. Wheal Vor was a deep mine over 300 fathoms from surface.