Royal Cornwall Museum T


he Royal Cornwall Museum, based in Truro is the oldest museum in Cornwall and the leading museum of


Cornish culture. Its exhibits include minerals, an unwrapped mummy and objects relating to Cornwall’s unique culture and heritage.


The museum is run and owned by the Royal Institution of Cornwall that was founded in 1818. The idea behind the creation of the museum was to promote ‘knowledge in natural history, ethnology and the fine and industrial arts, especially in relation to Cornwall.’


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The museum has collections in the following areas: •


Applied and decorative arts Numismatics, Biology Geology


Mineralogy (including Philip Rashleigh’s collection of Cornish minerals) Social history


• World cultures


Archaeology, both Cornish and non-Cornish: these include the Arthur stone Art, Fine Art


Address Royal Cornwall Museum River Street,Truro,Cornwall TR1 2SJ Telephone01872 272205 www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk


Opening times Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 16.45


Price Free entry throughout 2011


St Agnes M


07 St Agnes Museum


ining was hugely influential in shaping St. Agnes and virtually all its coastline is included as part of the


Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. The St Agnes Museum serves as the interpretation centre for this part of the Site, and the mining district here is centred on the town. The mineral lodes were formed at the contact between the granite underlying St Agnes Beacon and the adjoining metamorphosed country rock. Important though mining is to the story of St. Agnes, the museum’s remit is much wider. The museum is full of fascinating artefacts and information about the area and lots about the rich mining and maritime history. The museum was created following the success of two brief exhibitions in 1983 and 1984 when the St. Agnes Museum


Trust leased three first floor rooms in commercial premise situated in Peterville, St. Agnes and opened its first museum in 1986.


The museum’s educational outreach programme has


produced a number of teaching packs and work-sheets to facilitate visits from primary schools and other educational visitors. The museum also commissioned a set of scaled- down mining tools along with miners’ and bal-maidens’ clothing. These were produced to enable school children to gain an insight into what life was like for the Cornish miner and bal-maiden by dressing in clothes equivalent to those worn by these workers in the 19th century.


Address


St Agnes Museum, Penwinnick Road, St Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0PA Telephone 01872 553228 www.stagnesmuseum.org.uk


Opening times Easter to end of October Open every day 10.30 - 17:00


Price Free


Luxulyan Valley & Charlestown Wheal Martyn


08 Address S


et in 26 acres of woodland, and nestled in the historic Ruddle Valley within two former clay works, Wheal Martyn gives a fascinating insight into Cornwall’s important billion pound china clay mining industry. The industrial and social history of this vital Cornish industry are explained through artefacts and interactive displays and the story is brought right up to date with a spectacular view into a modern working clay pit at the top of the site. The site has nature trails complete with children’s woodland play area and adventure course. There’s a unique view of a modern China Clay pit at work with monitor jets and giant machinery. The site has Cornwall’s largest working water wheel and a fully preserved Victorian china clay works. Two hundred years ago the area around the museum would


have been granite moorland with scattered small farms. China clay extraction was well underway by the 1840s but the pits were smaller than modern pits. As can be seen the extraction of china clay has dramatically altered the landscape in many ways, pits replaced fields, new villages to house workers were created and mineral waste products from the industry were tipped to form a very different skyline to the pre-mining landscape. The Wheal Martyn site houses many different attractions including vintage commercial vehicles, a children’s woodland play area and a licensed café. Wheal Martyn provides a superb combination of interest and education.


Wheal Martyn Museum and Country Park, Carthew, St. Austell, Cornwall, PL26 8XG Telephone 01726 850362 info@wheal-martyn.com


Opening times April to October, daily, 10.00 - 17.00 November and December , daily, 10.00 to 16.00 January to March, Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 to 16.00 Closed between Christmas and New Year


Price


Adults - £8.50 Children (6-16) – £4.75 Children (5 and under) – Free. Concessions - £6.50


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