 Towards the end of the 19th century many of the local smallholdings had merged to form larger farms, with the result that even fewer of the local households were engaged in agricultural work and clay mining had now become the dominant form of employment in the area.The area was one of the first areas of Cownwall to be exploited for its China clay deposits, but all mining activities came to an end in 2008.The mine itself is now flooded but the engine house, unusually with its roof still intact, is still standing.