Heartlands (playground)

Heartlands was a cultural playground built on the site of the old South Crofty Robinson Shaft in Pool, Cornwall. It covered 19 acres in the former mining heart of the county. The project started after 14 years of planning and was funded by the National Lottery. It opened in April 2012 as Cornwall’s first free cultural playground. In 2014 it faced closure and had to cut staff because of low visitor numbers. The park closed in early 2024 after running into financial trouble. The site once housed a museum, soft play centre, conference centre and café. These closed in February 2024 when the Heartlands Trust wound up its operations. Independent shops on the site remained open after the trust sold its assets. Cornwall Council now manages the park. A weekly parkrun still takes place there every Saturday morning. Visitors once found landscaped gardens, play areas and indoor spaces for events. The outdoor paths led past old mining relics and modern artworks. The museum showed Cornwall’s industrial past. The soft play centre gave families a place to let children run around. The café provided a spot to rest. Now only the shops and the parkrun remain.