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Gwennap, Kennall Vale and Perran Foundry
A large and varied area of fertile countryside, historic mining villages, pretty woods,
tranquil
river creeks and some of the most impressive industrial landscapes to be found anywhere in the Site, Gwennap is full of contrasts. Once the richest of all Cornwall’s mining districts, its fine houses, well-preserved industrial remains and dramatic, alien-looking mining landscapes combine to tell a compelling and colourful story of Cornish Mining’s heyday. The Methodist preaching place Gwennap Pit, along with the Area’s many roadside chapels, also give us a fascinating insight into mining communities and their spiritual beliefs.
Highlights
• Cycling the stunning Mineral Tramways Coast to Coast Trail, which passes through some incredible mining landscapes. Level for most of the way (with the odd slight incline), enjoy the invigoration of cycling an almost 25 mile round trip in a day – to and from Devoran on the River Fal to the lovely harbour and beach at Portreath on the north coast.
• Exploring the Kennall Vale Gunpowder Works – one of the largest and most complete gunpowder works to be found anywhere in Britain – set in gorgeous woods laced with streams, leats, waterfalls and ponds. In spring, a sea of bluebells and bright pink foxgloves carpets the woodland floor.
•
Standing in the famous Gwennap Pit, where John Wesley preached to the Cornish mining communities, imagining thousands of people gathered around to listen to you.
• Looking around the well- preserved port, quays and tramway trackbeds at Devoran, once a key mining port and now a beautiful and tranquil creekside haven.
Mining Heritage D
ubbed ‘the Copper Kingdom of the Old World’, Gwennap produced a major proportion of the world’s copper supply in the 18th and 19th centuries. This Area saw the early use of steam beam engines for pumping and some of the oldest engine houses to survive in Cornwall can be found here. Tramways thread through this Area, linking its mines to the well-preserved ports of Devoran and Portreath. At Poldice and Wheal Maid, the changes wrought by mining and ore processing are profound, as extensive, vegetation-bare mine-dumps punctuate the landscape In contrast, the site of the Kennall Vale Gunpowder Works, which produced explosives used to drive tunnels and remove ore, is now a tranquil woodland managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Perran Foundry, by the creeks at Perran Wharf, was one of the world’s most important Cornish engine manufacturers and ironfounders. The settlements of St Day, Chacewater and Carharrack
retain their individual identities and community life. Their terraces and chapels remain an essential part of their character today.
Sites within and around the district
Click on each site to find out more.
• Gwennap Pit • Royal Cornwall Museum For travel information click here .
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Did you know? Walk the Pit Walking around each terrace of the Pit, from top to bottom and back up again, amounts to one mile.
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