"The Prison" A huge collapsed sea cave on the Cornish Coast with nearby mine workings Wheal Prudence

Exploring a natural feature on the North Cornish Coast called The Prison, which is the remains of a massive sea cave which has then collapsed and formed this strange coastline feature which we can visit today.
Explorers have nick named this The Prison as it is only acessible by a small tunnel at low tide and only then around low water on big spring tides.
Timing here is important as as quick as the tide goes out it will return and there is a very real risk of getting trapped within as there is no way out once the incoming tide reaches a certain point.
Wheal Prudence is just around the corner so we also take a look at the nearby massive sea cave with drainage adits and stoping, and also the cove next door which has more adits for a future adventure.
Im exploring today with fellow explorer Barfield... it was his inital video which made me want to take a look at this.
His original video is here: • Cornish beach technico...
His channel is here: / @cornishxplora

[@DoodlesMcpooh]

That's near me. I'm glad you film these because I like to look but would never want to go in there myself. Thank you.

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

Wow, copper cliffs, not seen anything like that before. Brave men mining in that environment, rather unique.

[@cebusapella9125]

I walked there three or four years ago, on a very low spring tide. Absolutely amazing place. It's also called the "Prism" I believe, though, Prison seems a more appropriate name! Wonderful colours in the cliffs around there & Cligga.

[@MikeFloutier]

Wonderful camera work, lighting, commentary and editing, plus the amazing locations. Great job, thank you!

[@LostAdventuresExploring]

Incredible! thanks for showing us round sir

[@julieisthatart]

I am so thrilled to see the fabulous colors of this place, and so grateful not to have to go there myself. Thanks!

[@shonkytours2039]

Brilliant video and mine as usual 👍

[@aaronteifel9441]

nice little extra bonus trip/ slip a few seconds in :) great video as always keep m coming

[@chrisfranklin2104]

Fabulous video, Ben: thanks 🤗 What are all those round balls lying around inside, metal fishing floats, that had been washed into the crevices? I enjoy Xplora's videos & knowledge too, keep it up, and stay safe, drekly 😎

[@BenoCam]

Yes fishing gear, gets rammed up in when it’s a big high tide and the swell is high !

[@tyrionlannister2876]

Awesome a new upload to watch 👌🏻

[@kernow..exp.]

Another great video mate and I flown the drone around there very interesting indeed

[@BenoCam]

Cheers, it’s a good little trip just go a hour before a big low tide ! Don’t spend too long in there though !

[@composedlight6850]

went down that path in 1971 when on geology trip as a 12 year old. Need a rope at the bottom section back then.

[@Fibercraft]

Well done !

[@Julianne955]

This is incredible! Thank you for taking us with you!

[@anon6366]

Great stuff, as always 👍

[@glenbowden7334]

Just Wow Always Channel 😍👏

[@noimnotarobotcanubeleiveit7024]

i wish we could see some unmined seams. i explored a lot of mines in cornwall but of course all viable ore had been removed

[@BenoCam]

I think they have had all the obvious ones . Every now and then you see a smaller one which must not have been profitable to chase

[@CorgiChoice]

Wow👍🏻

[@Chris-m-m02]

Wheal Trewavas about 3 miles north of Porthleven is quite an interesting mine to have a look at, there's 2 different adits you can go in, one behind on of the engine house to north that goes about 100m that leads to a fork in the adit and another shaft. A different adit can be accessed via the sea at the base of the engine house although you will have to go at low tide which will gain access to the main shaft and another adit that will need climbing equipment to get up to (only 4 meters up the shaft to the adit)

[@BenoCam]

Looked at that years ago, didn’t realise there was one up in the cliff. We walked the coastline and found one which had the remains of a dead seal and fishing bouys so rammed in it was almost blocking it . Never been back but we probably should !

[@Chris-m-m02]

@@BenoCam yes indeed! It is quite an underrated mine to be fair, it was quite a successful mine but it shut before it could be fully exploited due to a collapse under the sea which promptly flooded the mine, no known plans of the workings survive.

[@payeo20]

I live in helston and often climb at Trewavas. It would be great to see what's around underground! I hope you do visit

[@devon2992]

This is amazing. Thanks Ben for showing :). How long do you think the walk took across cligga beach to the prison?

[@BenoCam]

Maybe 45 mins ? Need a big tide though and it’s really easy to get caught out !!

[@andrewjewell3142]

It would be good to see if you can explore dolcoth mine to see how deep you could get

[@BenoCam]

Sadly it’s all capped although there is a shaft there with a pipe we could drop a camera down. I have a feeling though that if the mine plans are anything to go by then there is no workings above water table... ☹️

[@timwright8785]

Tried to get to it 2 weeks ago water was too high amazing place

[@BenoCam]

Should have gone yesterday ! We went and looked at the mine workings the other side of it ! We had a good hour and a half the other side of it

[@wideyxyz2271]

🥰💥

[@martynwatson4929]

I wonder how long ago the roof fell in. There appears to be a portal in the cliff to the west side of the prison front wall with steps carved into the cliff, that you can see from the path you went down. The only way to get to it back then would have been a walk over the intact roof of the cavern or a sketchy traverse along the top of the front wall of the prison. I wouldn't have wanted to do that every day, a twelve hour shift in the winter would have meant at least one of the trips done in the dark....

[@BenoCam]

I think that might have lead to “island shaft” of wheal prudence. That is visible right out on the headland right next to the prison and still looks open. Might try and get over to it ! Also plenty of adits visible part way up in the cliff !

[@martynwatson4929]

@@BenoCam I know someone that reckons his father has been in there, i'll catch up with him later this month and see what he says.. I've always heard the prison called the washing machine, the entrance tunnel being a little offset apparently makes the water in there spin like a washing machine. Those walls are beautifully polished, great layering with the different colours.

[@martynwatson4929]

@@BenoCam Had a look in that last portal you went into, light was coming down from above but tide didn't allow a full explore. Would be interesting to find where the light is coming from and head down through from above, would make that cove and bit of coast reasonably accessible..

[@rossjob8564]

I've been in there in a boat before

[@rickhowell3847]

Hanover cove?

[@gellyfour]

Is that copper in the boulders at 3:04?

[@BenoCam]

Yeah, there’s several areas there where copper residue is coming out of the cliffs and rocks. It’s an interesting part of the world geologically .

[@gellyfour]

@@BenoCam thanks, certainly is