Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape

The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape spreads across ten separate areas showing preserved mine shafts, engine houses, and industrial ruins that document centuries of extraction work. The terrain is marked by different shaft types, waste heaps, and processing structures integrated into both coastal and inland settings.

The region boomed during the 1800s when copper and tin extraction became the basis of major economic changes. This expansion led to new mining technologies that were later copied in other industries across the world.

Mining traditions shaped how communities built their homes and arranged their villages around pit work, with engine houses becoming defining landmarks in the regional landscape. This heritage remains visible in local architecture and settlement patterns that reflect generations of extraction-based life.

Many sites are open for free exploration on your own, while some museums and closed mines offer guided tours. The area spreads across a large territory, so it makes sense to explore different sections on separate visits or use transport to reach several locations in one day.

The area holds the world's largest concentration of preserved engine houses, many of which sit on rock cliffs directly above the sea. This dramatic placement was necessary to use water power for running the mining operations.