03 Tregonning and Trewavas
The largest of the ten Areas, Tregonning and Gwinear contains some of the most diverse landscapes in the whole Site. Ranging from the idyllic pastoral charms of the rural farmland in the west of the Area to the atmospheric cliffscapes at Rinsey – with silent woods, exposed hills and subtropical gardens in between - it is vast, historic and remarkable. Two great houses and their estates – Godolphin and Clowance – define the Area, providing a valuable insight into the wealth of some of Cornwall’s most successful industrialists and mine owners.
Highlights
• Taking in the breathtaking sights and sounds of Wheal Trewavas and Wheal Prosper – some of the best-known undersea mines, they are perched dramatically on the edge of rugged cliffs.
• Visiting Godolphin House, once home to some of Cornwall’s most successful mine owners, and exploring its gardens that are thought to date from the late Middle Ages.
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The panoramic views from Tregonning and Godolphin Hills can stretch as far as St Agnes and Hayle on a clear day.
• Experiencing the luscious gardens, scenic lake and grand house at Trevarno.
• Exploring the beautiful Rinsey headland and beach (at low tide), and nearby Porthleven (not in the Site), with its spectacular harbour that sweeps right into the centre of the village.
Mining Heritage M
uch of this Area’s mining history focuses on and around Godolphin; a district of early tin mines can be found
within the former boundaries of the estate – areas now used for farming. These include Wheal Vor, which at its peak in the 1830s employed over 1,100 people and was the richest tin mine in Cornwall.
Great Wheal Fortune, near the former mining town of Breage, is an exceptional example of a surviving open-cast tin mine. This area is also thought to have been the first to have seen the use of both a Savery pump (around 1698) and Newcomen pumping engine (around 1710) at the same locality.
To the south of the site, two undersea copper mines (Wheal Trewavas and Prosper) near Rinsey offer a unique glimpse of how treacherous mining could be. Trewavas, which seems to burst out of the cliff-edge, is particularly inspiring. Its neighbour, Wheal Prosper, sits a little further along the cliff; both sites have been conserved.
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Sites within the district Click on the site to find out more.
• Godolphin House For travel information click here.
Did you know? Employment in 1830’s Wheal Vor, near Carleen, employed over 1,100 people at its peak in the 1830’s and was the richest tin mine in Cornwall.
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