|
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.
|
Bodmin
& Wenford Railway
Bodmin
|
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.
|
|
Launceston
Steam Railway
Launceston
|
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.
|
|
Looe
Valley Railway
Looe
|
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 !
|
|
Lapp
Valley Steam Railway
Newquay
|
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.
|
|
Geevor
Tin Mine
Pendeen
, St Ives
|
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.
|
|
Levant
Mine & Beam Engine
Pendeen
, St Ives
|
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.
|
|
Cornish
Mines and Engines
Pool
, Redruth
|
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.
|
|
Blue
Hills Tin Stream
St
Agnes
, Truro
|
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.
|
|
Mineral
Tramways Discovery Centre
Troon
, Cambourne
|
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.
|
|
Poldark
Mine
Wendron
, Helston
|
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.
|
|