Morwellham Quay

Morwellham Quay is a historic river port in Devon, built to serve the local mines. It sits where the River Tamar meets the River Tavy, at the end of the Tavistock Canal. The site includes a restored 19th-century village, docks, a ship called the George and Charlotte, and a copper mine. There is also a Victorian farm and a nature reserve with walking trails. The port once handled copper and arsenic from nearby Devon Great Consols, which was one of the richest mines in Queen Victoria’s empire. The port reached its peak in the Victorian era, when it shipped thousands of tons of ore each year. Queen Victoria visited in 1856, and the site became known as the richest copper port in the empire. The Tavistock Canal, opened in 1817, linked the port to the mines with a tunnel and inclined planes powered by waterwheels. After the mines closed in 1903, the site fell into disuse until it was restored as a museum and tourist attraction in 2010. Visitors today can explore the restored village, docks, and quays, as well as the copper mine toured by a small train. The Victorian farm and schoolrooms show how people lived and worked in the 19th century. The assayers’ offices and ore-crushing plants remain, powered by a large waterwheel. The nature reserve offers trails through the valley, and old lime kilns can be seen nearby. The site is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.