19th c Cornish elm clerk's desk from The Count House, Botallack tin mine
Built during the 1860s at the height of the Cornish mining boom, the Count House at Botallack stands on the cliffs near the Crowns Mine. It was the hub of the day-to-day running of the mine and also where the miners collected their pay. The desk would have been used by the clerks preparing and handing out the miner's pay. The Count House was built in the 1860s and the mine closed in 1895. Botallack recently featured in the filing of the BBC drama series Poldark.
The large desk has an elm top and solid pitch pine base with four drawers. The slope to the desk has obvioulsy proved useful and now has patches of paint on the top where it has been used as an artist.
Originally the desk would have had a small rail at the top at the back which has been historically removed.
The desk is of large proportions measuring nearly two metres across. The drawer second from the left is a later replacement.
The Count House is now National Trust property. A truly unique piece with a fabulous history
Measuring: 192 cm wide, 77 cm deep, 119 cm height to back and height under counter 55 cm.
Cornwall, c. 1860
Provenance: The Count House, Botallack, Cornwall