Britain goes back to Bronze Age with plans to revive tin mining

London

A HALF mile shaft of filthy water dug into the granite that forms the southernmost tip of England separates Richard Williams from his dream of bringing back mining to a region known for its tin since before Roman times.

It is just one hurdle for the head of Canadian upstart Strongbow Exploration Inc. The South Crofty mine bought by Strongbow last week was closed in 1998, bringing to an end a period of mining tin in Cornwall that dates from the Bronze Age and is hinted at in the ancient Greek writings of Herodotus.

Repeated efforts by investors to revive the operation since 2001 have fa…