Industrial Heritage, Mining & Railways In Cornwall

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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 18^th century Poldark Mine in the Wendron Valley.

Railway Cornwall

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, nt.Form1.action = "Polperro/" + document.Form1.action;