Geevor Tin Mine

Geevor Tin Mine lies between Pendeen and Trewellard in west Cornwall, on land once worked for tin since the late 18th century. The modern mine operated from 1911 to 1990 and produced about 50,000 tons of black tin. It now stands as a museum and heritage centre, part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape that UNESCO named a World Heritage Site in 2006. The site covers 67 acres and is the largest preserved tin mining area in Great Britain. It also serves as an Anchor Point of ERIH, the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The mine’s history includes shafts named after founders and wartime events, such as the Wethered and Victory shafts sunk in 1909 and 1919. During the 1960s around 270 staff worked here, including Polish and Italian miners recruited after the Second World War. The mine closed in 1990 after the International Tin Council collapsed and tin prices fell. Before then it had driven over 85 miles of tunnels and pumped more than a million gallons of water daily, a quarter of it seawater. Visitors walk through original mine buildings and see preserved machinery. A guided tour leads underground into Wheal Mexico, an 18th-century mine. The new Hard Rock museum tells the story of Cornish tin mining with oral histories and displays. Outside, a café overlooks the Atlantic and interactive activities include panning for gold and gemstones. The site also has a souvenir shop and open grounds to explore.