Tin mining is an integral part of Cornwall’s heritage and history. There are many remnants of this once-booming industry still visible across the county but one of the most spectacular examples is available for an unforgettable tour in Pendeen, near Penzance.
Geevor Tin Mine is set in outstanding scenery on the Cornish coastline. This was the last mine to work the famous St Just Mining District, itself part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Geevor is home to the 18th century Wheal Mexico Mine which used to see workers heading underground more than 200 years ago. Visitors get to see what life was like for those miners when they explore the many underground tunnels at their own pace.
Exploring the underground mine is not the only activity here, though. Visitors can see a range of exhibitions on metal mining at the Hard Rock Museum and they can also wander the Winder and Compressor Houses which contain mining machinery from days gone by. Then there’s the mill buildings which house the machinery that used to process the rocks which had been brought to the surface by the miners and gather the precious tin. In the Mill, you can also have a go at panning for ‘gold’ and ‘gemstones’. Plus, visit the Dry, which was once the miners’ changing room. It’s been left almost exactly as it was the day the mine closed in 1990.
The team at the mine is requesting that all visitors must pre-book so don’t just turn up to Geevor, which is further inland than equally fascinating tin heritage attraction Levant Mine and Beam Engine and just up the coast from the beautiful Botallack. But do book a slot at Geevor and prepare to go underground at one of Cornwall’s most stunning and fascinating tin mines. A visit here is like striking gold. Or, at least, tin.