Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape

The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape is a World Heritage Site in south-west England. It covers mining areas in Cornwall and West Devon. The site was added to the UNESCO list in 2006. It includes deep-lode mines, engine houses, foundries, ports and towns shaped by 18th- and 19th-century mining. The region once produced two-thirds of the world’s copper and half its arsenic in the 19th century. Cornish engineers such as Richard Trevithick and Arthur Woolf developed high-pressure steam engines that transformed mining worldwide. The landscape reflects the region’s mining history and technological innovation. Mining communities grew around Cornish traditions and spread across the globe. Distinctive Cornish-style engine houses can still be seen in places such as Australia and Mexico. The last tin mine in Europe, South Crofty, closed in 1998 but is now being considered for reopening. The site includes ten linked areas from St Just to Tavistock, each with its own mining heritage. Visitors can explore engine houses, foundries and harbours across the designated areas. The Mineral Tramway Trails follow old tram and rail routes through the central mining district. At Hayle, the port still shows signs of its industrial past. In the Luxulyan Valley, the landscape bears the marks of deep-lode mining. The site also includes the Wheel Wreck, a shipwreck preserved for its Cornish mining equipment.