Cornwall’s Tin Mining Heritage
Cornwall was once the world’s tin capital, its mines producing millions of tons of metal that powered Britain’s Industrial Revolution and funded magnificent buildings across Britain. While most mines are now closed, Cornwall retains remarkable mining heritage—from spectacular preserved mines to industrial landscapes, from underground tunnels to mineral tramways.
This guide reveals Cornwall’s tin mining heritage, explaining where to visit preserved mines, understand the industry’s impact, and experience this remarkable industrial legacy.
Understanding Cornwall’s Tin Mining
Cornwall’s tin mining spans millennia:
Ancient period: Tin was mined in Cornwall by pre-Roman peoples, who traded it across Europe.
Roman period: Romans continued tin mining, establishing trade routes that made Cornwall wealthy.
Medieval period: Mining continued through medieval times, with Cornwall remaining Britain’s main tin producer.
16th-17th centuries: Tin mining expanded dramatically as demand increased for pewter and other uses.
18th century: Peak tin production, with Cornwall supplying most of the world’s tin.
Early 19th century: Gradual decline as cheaper tin became available from overseas (particularly Bolivia).
Mid-late 19th century: Serious decline. Many mines closed as prices collapsed.
Early 20th century: Final collapse. Only a few mines survived until the 20th century’s final closures.
The industry’s impact on Cornwall was profound—mining created wealthy mine owners, funded spectacular buildings, and shaped Cornwall’s distinctive industrial landscape.
Essential Mining Sites to Visit
1. Geevor Tin Mine
Geevor Tin Mine is Cornwall’s most complete preserved tin mine, operating from the 18th century until 1990. The site offers underground tours, surface buildings, and comprehensive interpretation of Cornwall’s tin mining heritage.
What makes Geevor special is its completeness and authenticity. The mine was closed relatively recently and has been preserved as near-original as possible, showing tin mining from Victorian times through to the 20th century.
Location: Pendeen, TR19 7JQ
Opening: Daily March-October (varies by year)
Cost: Approximately £15 adult, £10 child, £40 family
What to expect: Underground tour (approx. 1 hour), surface buildings, mining museum. Allow 2-3 hours.
Highlights: The underground tour shows genuine tin mining techniques. The surface buildings include dressing floors, engine houses, and miners’ changing rooms.
2. Levant Mine
Levant Mine is one of Cornwall’s most atmospheric mining sites, a preserved tin and copper mine dramatically situated on the cliffs at St Just. The mine operated from the 18th century until 1930 and is now preserved as a historic mine.
What makes Levant special is its spectacular clifftop location and preserved steam engine. The beam engine that pumped water from the mine is preserved and operated on special days, demonstrating Victorian engineering.
Location: St Just, TR19 7HU
Opening: Daily March-October (engine operation varies)
Cost: Approximately £12 adult, £8 child, £32 family
What to expect: Dramatic clifftop mine, preserved engine house, spectacular coastal views. Allow 1.5-2.5 hours.
Steam engine: The beam engine operates on select days (check website). Watching it in action is a remarkable Victorian engineering experience.
3. Crown Mines (Botallack and Levant)
The Crown Mines area near St Just includes Botallack and Levant mines, dramatically situated on the cliffs. While Levant is the main visitor attraction, the whole area’s mining landscape is spectacular.
What makes the Crown Mines area special is its dramatic mining landscape. Mines were dug directly into the cliffs, with shafts extending below sea level. The industrial landscape of cliffs, mines, and sea is uniquely Cornish.
Location: Near St Just, TR19 7HU
Access: Several access points from coastal paths around St Just
Cost: Various entry fees (Levant main site)
What to expect: Dramatic clifftop mines, coastal paths, spectacular industrial landscapes.
Coastal walking: The South West Coast Path passes through this area, offering spectacular walking through mining heritage.
Mining Landscapes to Explore
4. Mineral Tramways
Cornwall’s mineral tramways were narrow-gauge railways built to transport tin and other ores from inland mines to coastal ports for export. Several sections survive as walking paths, allowing exploration of Cornwall’s industrial transport heritage.
Key sections:
- Portreath tramway: Near Portreath, approximately 2 miles of preserved tramway
- Redruth and Chasewater Railway: Historic railway that connected mines to ports
- Various smaller sections: Scattered across Cornwall
Access: Public footpaths follow former tramway routes. Ordnance Survey maps show tramway corridors.
Cost: Free (public paths)
What to expect: Historic railway routes, mining heritage, industrial landscapes.
Walking: The tramways provide excellent walking, generally flat and well-surfaced.
5. Botallack Mine
Botallack Mine is a dramatically situated clifftop tin mine near St Just. While less preserved than Geevor or Levant, the site offers atmospheric views and understanding of Cornwall’s clifftop mining.
Location: Near St Just, TR19 7HU
Access: Coastal path access from St Just
Opening: Exterior accessible 24/7; interior access varies (check heritage organisations)
Cost: Free to view exterior; interior access varies
What to expect: Spectacular clifftop mine, coastal views, mining heritage.
Views: The site offers spectacular views across Mount’s Bay and the Atlantic.
6. Carn Brea Mine
Carn Brea is one of Cornwall’s most complete mining sites, featuring extensive mine buildings, including a spectacular engine house and dressing floors. The mine operated from the 18th century until the 20th century.
Location: Near Redruth, TR16 6UF
Access: Car park on site
Opening: Exterior accessible 24/7; building access varies (check heritage organisations)
Cost: Free to view exterior; building access varies
What to expect: Spectacular engine house, mine buildings, industrial landscape.
Engine house: The preserved beam engine house is particularly spectacular Victorian industrial architecture.
Cornwall Mining Towns
7. Redruth
Redruth was one of Cornwall’s major mining towns, surrounded by tin mines and serving as a centre for the industry. While most mines are closed, the town retains mining heritage in its architecture and street patterns.
What makes Redruth special is its mining town character. The town’s architecture, street patterns, and even pub names reflect its mining heritage, making it a living mining community rather than just industrial ruins.
Location: Central Cornwall, TR16
Access: Accessible by public transport and car
Opening: Town accessible 24/7 (individual businesses have various hours)
Cost: Free (town exploration)
What to expect: Mining town character, historic buildings, mining heritage displays.
Pubs: Several Redruth pubs have mining heritage names and atmospheres.
8. St Just
St Just was Cornwall’s most important mining town, serving numerous clifftop mines including Levant and Botallack. The town’s prosperity came entirely from mining, creating a distinctive character that survives today.
What makes St Just special is its complete dependence on mining. Unlike some towns where mining was one industry among others, St Just existed almost entirely because of tin mining. The town’s character reflects this single-industry heritage.
Location: Cornwall’s far west, TR19 7HU
Access: Accessible by public transport and car
Opening: Town accessible 24/7 (individual businesses have various hours)
Cost: Free (town exploration)
What to expect: Mining town character, proximity to preserved mines, spectacular coastal location.
Mining proximity: St Just is within walking distance of Levant Mine and Botallack, plus numerous other mine sites.
Understanding Mining Techniques
Cornish tin mining used several key techniques:
Open-cast mining: Early method where surface tin deposits were dug from ground level.
Shaft mining: Vertical shafts dug to reach deeper tin seams, requiring sophisticated drainage.
Stamps: Heavy stamps powered by water wheels or steam engines crushed tin ore for processing.
Dressing floors: Where tin ore was sorted and processed before smelting.
Beam engines: Steam engines pumped water from mines and powered machinery.
Underground haulage: Underground railways and tramways moved ore within mines.
Smelting: Tin ore was smelted in furnaces to extract pure metal.
These techniques made Cornwall a global leader in mining technology during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Cornwall Mining Photography Tips
Geevor Mine: Underground photography (where allowed), surface buildings, and coastal location.
Levant Mine: Clifftop location, preserved engine house, dramatic coastal views.
Mineral tramways: Historic railway routes through Cornwall’s landscape.
Industrial landscapes: Clifftop mines, engine houses, and dressing floors against Cornwall’s dramatic scenery.
Abandoned mines: Atmospheric ruins across Cornwall, particularly around St Just and Camborne.
Mining Safety
Underground tours: Follow guides’ instructions strictly. Mines can be disorienting and have hazards.
Don’t enter abandoned mines: Never enter abandoned mineshafts or workings. This is dangerous and illegal.
Clifftop sites: Stay well back from cliff edges. Mining sites near cliffs can be particularly dangerous.
Weather: Check forecasts before visiting mine sites, especially coastal locations.
Equipment: Sturdy footwear and warm clothing are essential for underground tours.
Cornwall Mining Heritage Sites Map
Key Cornwall mining heritage sites:
North Cornwall: Geevor, Levant, Botallack, Crown Mines area
Central Cornwall: Carn Brea, Redruth area mines, Portreath tramway
South Cornwall: Various mine sites, tin stamping mills, and mineral tramways
West Cornwall: St Just mines, clifftop locations, coastal mining landscapes
Seasonal Mining Heritage Visits
Spring: Good weather for coastal walking to mine sites. Wildflowers on clifftops.
Summer: Best weather, but sites can be crowded. Early morning offers quieter periods.
Autumn: Good weather, cooler temperatures. Autumn colours on clifftops.
Winter: Quietest, but some sites have reduced hours or are closed entirely. Coastal sites can be dramatic in winter weather.
Combining Mining Heritage with Other Cornwall Activities
Cornwall has more than mining heritage:
Coastal scenery: Spectacular cliffs and beaches around Cornwall’s coast.
Fishing villages: Characterful villages like Port Isaac, Polperro, and Mousehole.
Food and drink: Cornwall’s famous seafood, pasties, and cream teas.
Walking: South West Coast Path and other spectacular walking routes.
A Final Thought
Cornwall’s tin mining heritage is extraordinary—a global industry that operated for millennia, powered Britain’s Industrial Revolution, and created distinctive industrial landscapes that survive today. The preserved mines, dramatic clifftop locations, and mineral tramways all tell this remarkable story.
The key to enjoying Cornwall’s mining heritage is understanding what you’re seeing. These aren’t just industrial ruins but evidence of an extraordinary industry that made Cornwall wealthy and influential. The engineering skill, hard labour, and global connections represented by Cornwall’s tin mines shaped world history as much as Cornish history.
So visit Geevor and Levant mines, explore the mineral tramways, and experience Cornwall’s remarkable industrial heritage. The mines tell a story of human ingenuity, hard labour, and global connections that helped shape the modern world.
Cornwall without its mining heritage would be diminished. The mines, tramways, and mining towns represent a living industrial landscape that’s uniquely Cornish and globally significant. Discover them and understand Cornwall’s extraordinary contribution to world history.
This guide reveals Cornwall’s tin mining heritage, from preserved mines at Geevor and Levant to clifftop locations at Botallack and the Crown Mines, from mineral tramways to mining towns like Redruth and St Just. Cornwall’s mining heritage is a globally significant industrial legacy that shaped the modern world. Explore these remarkable sites and discover Cornwall’s extraordinary industrial past.