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Industrial, Mining &
Railways In Cornwall
Cornish
tin mining and Cornish miners are world famous. If you are
interested, why not visit Geevor Tin Mine located in the village
of Pendeen, 7 miles west of Penzance to see how the process of
extracting and processing tin actually took place and to walk
through narrow 18th century tunnels with a guide who vividly
brings to life the conditions of those times. Or visit the nearby
Levant Mine and Beam Engine, owned by the National Trust, or the
18th century Poldark Mine in the Wendron Valley.
Railways
were crucial to the Cornish Tin Mining industry and there are some
interesting railways with steam engines. For anyone interested in
scenic rail journey, combined with good beer and fine food, visit
the 'Rail
Ale Trail' site which explains how to visit a host of good
pubs by means of the train ! Local to Polperro is the Looe
Valley Railway site which also has useful links to self guided
walks in the Looe Valley. Also worth a visit is The
Bodmin & Wenford Railway, Cornwall's only standard gauge
railway still operated by steam locomotives and the trains run
through some 13 miles of delightful Cornish scenery.
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Bodmin
& Wenford Railway
Bodmin
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The
Bodmin & Wenford Railway is Cornwall's only standard
gauge railway operating with steam locomotives running
between Bodmin General, Boscarne Junction and Bodmin
Parkway. Bodmin General, the main station on this
branch line, has engine sheds, a souvenir shop and a
refreshment room in the restored station buildings. The
trains run through delightful scenery every day between
May & September and at other times. The Bodmin &
Wenford Railway website has a timetable so that you can
check when trains are running.
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Launceston
Steam Railway
Launceston
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The
Launceston Steam Railway, a narrow gauge railway created
by enthusiast Nigel Bowmanent, opened in 1983 with half a
mile of track. The line now runs for two and a half miles
through the scenic Kensey Valley along the trackbed of the
old North Cornwall Railway, linking the historic town of
Launceston with the hamlet of Newmills. A visit will be
great value as tickets are valid all day and there are
places to visit at both ends of the line. Why not visit
the website for timetable and lots of other information.
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Looe
Valley Railway
Looe
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The
Looe Valley line links the market town of Liskeard with
the town of Looe, a working fishing port and ancient
harbour. This is an opportunity to visit one of the Great
Scenic Railways of Devon & Cornwall as the line
travels along the wooded Looe river valley offering
fantastic scenery throughout the journey. We
have provided a link to the Looe Valley Line 'Rail Ale
Trail' site which we hope you find interesting ! Certainly
it is an opportunity to experience the beauty of the Looe
Valley and savour the delights of traditional real ales
and fine rural pubs along the way !
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Lapp
Valley Steam Railway
Newquay
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The
narrow gauge Lapp Valley Steam Railway at St Newlyn East,
near Newquay runs on part of a railway trackbed originally
opened as a mineral line between Newquay and East Wheal
Rose in the mid-19th century. Later on, the line became
part of a Great Western branch line which closed in the
early 1960's but part of the track was reopened as a
narrow gauge steam railway in 1974. Check out the Lapp
Valley Steam Railway website to learn about the
fascinating history of the line and of East Wheal Rose,
the mine which is served. The site has a timetable and
admission prices.
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Geevor
Tin Mine
Pendeen
, St Ives
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Geevor Tin Mine opened as a Museum and
Heritage Centre in 1993 and is the largest preserved tin
mining site in Europe and one of the largest industrial
heritage sites in Britain. Historically, Geevor Tim Mine
was significant in the international development of tin
mining and especially underseas. The facility is located
near Pendeen between Land's End and St. Ives on the South
West Coastal Path. It is open all year round and has a
comprehensive website which provides opening hours (all
year round) and prices together with lots of useful
information.
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Levant
Mine & Beam Engine
Pendeen
, St Ives
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Just
half a mile away from Geevor Tin Mine is the National
Trust owned and restored Levant Mine & Beam Engine.
Perched on the cliff edge is a tiny engine house in which
an historic beam engine is now once again in full steam.
There is an underground tour and also on display are
winding and pumping shafts with a recently restored
electric winding engine. The
steam engine is operational from the beginning of March to
the end October and full details can be seen on the
National Trust website. A day out at Geevor Tim Mine and
Levant Mine & Beam Engine is an absolute must for
anyone interested in Cornwall's internationally famous
industrial heritage.
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Cornish
Mines and Engines
Pool
, Redruth
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Located at Pool, near Redruth, the National
Trust's Cornish Mines and Engines offer an opportunity for
you to soak up more of Cornwall's impressive Industrial
Heritage. The massive 90ft beam engines built by local
engineer Richard Trevithick are hugely impressive in
themselves and were used to pump water from the mines and
to wind up and down men and ore. There is also an
Industrial Heritage Discovery Centre which offers audio
visual presentations and a social history exhibition.
Opening times, prices and other details can be found via
the National Trust website link provided.
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Blue
Hills Tin Stream
St
Agnes
, Truro
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Blue Hills is a commercial concern engaged
in tin streaming and the production of tin jewellery and
tinware on the site of a group of old tin mines that
closed in the late 19th century. Blue Hills tin streaming
works is located in the Trevellas Valley on the north
coast of Cornwall. The valley has produced tin for over
4000 years with both tin streamers extracting tin from
alluvial sands and gravel and miners tunnelling
underground for ore. Visitors to Blue Hills can take a
tour around the tin streaming works and the website has a
fascinating virtual tour of the tin streaming processes
and tin smelting processes. Well worth a visit.
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Mineral
Tramways Discovery Centre
Troon
, Cambourne
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Located
at Pool near Cambourne, The Mineral Tramways Discovery
Centre is an ideal place to find out about the old
mineral tramway routes between Hayle, Portreath and
Devoran as well seeing the remains of the mines
they served. With trails and footpaths, the area is
ideal for exploring the industrial heritage of Cornwall.
There are a number of well defined trails such as The
Great Flat Lode Trail to follow on foot, on bike or
better still, on horseback. The Great Flat
Lode itself is a great example of a mining landscape and
has been proposed as a World Heritage Site.
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Poldark
Mine
Wendron
, Helston
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Poldark Mine, a free entry site, offers a fascinating
insight into the life and works of 17th & 18th Century Cornish
tin miners. Set in the beautiful Wendron Valley,
close to Redruth, Poldark Mine was originally known as
Wheal Roots and changed it's name in recent times to
reflect it's connections with the Poldark TV drama. There
are lots of things to do at Poldark Mine - you can take an
underground tour, visit the Museum, relax in the Garden
Café and browse the comprehensive range of local
craft and antique shops. For kids, there is a play area
and amusement arcade as well as craft workshops such as
candle making, pot painting, wood turning and panning for
precious stones. For opening hours and other information,
visit the website.
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