The latest addition to the Explore UNESCO South West Trails invites visitors to discover the remarkable St Agnes Mining District, a place where dramatic cliffs, historic mining remains, and stunning sea views combine to create an unforgettable experience.

Just a 30-minute bus journey from Truro Railway Station, St Agnes is easily accessible and offers the perfect gateway to exploring one of the most distinctive areas within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

Discover more at the Echoes of Industry - Exploring the dramatic mining landscape around St Agnes

The newly published UK UNESCO Industrial Heritage Trail brings together 22 UNESCO designations in celebration of the United Kingdom’s internationally significant industrial heritage, creating a trail for enthusiasts and visitors to explore. The trail showcases the people, places and innovations that helped shape the modern world, connecting UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities through a shared industrial story.

You can find out more and download the leaflet from the World Heritage UK website.

Made possible through partnership and funding support, this project was produced as part of the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s Local to Global programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players. 

This innovative project saw the historic mining landscape around Phoenix United Mine (located in Area A9 - Caradon Mining District of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site) reconstructed within Minecraft. With the fantastic support and technical expertise of the team at Liskeard Library, the result was a dynamic and immersive experience that captured the imagination of everyone involved.

Working in partnership with the Cornwall Young Archaeology Club, Cornwall National Landscape, and Liskeard Library, the project set out to uncover the Caradon Mining District’s rich mining heritage and bring it vividly to life. By blending fieldwork with digital technology, participants were able to explore, interpret, and ultimately rebuild their local heritage in an interactive virtual world.

Project Aims

The Pick Axes to Pixels project explored how digital tools can transform heritage education by:

• Demonstrating how platforms like Minecraft can support learning and engagement
• Helping young people understand archaeological processes through hands-on activities
• Using virtual reconstruction to recreate and interpret historic mining sites, complete with signage and embedded information
• Integrating Cornish language into the learning experience

Day One: Exploring the Landscape

The first day took place around Minions on Bodmin Moor, where members of the Cornwall Young Archaeology Club visited Phoenix United Mine and its surrounding landscape. The visit was expertly facilitated by Iain Rowe and Tanya Brown, whose guidance helped bring the site and its history to life for participants.

Walking through the remains of this once-thriving industrial site gave participants a powerful sense of scale and history. The group explored not only the standing structures but also the wider archaeological landscape, identifying features such as:

• The Hurlers stone circles
• A network of railway tracks that once transported coal to the site in exchange for tin and copper
• Stone boundary walls, dressing floors, and spoil heaps

Participants also carried out a hands-on measured survey of the mine, recording wall dimensions and creating plans that would form the basis for their digital reconstructions the following day.

A visit to the former Count House provided valuable insight into the administrative heart of the mine and its role in the wider mining story.

Adding another layer of learning, the group used Cornish language flashcards to explore words connected to mining, landscape, and ecology - embedding local language and culture into their experience.

Day Two: Recreating the Past in Minecraft

The group gathered at Liskeard Library for the second phase of their adventure - transforming their fieldwork into a digital world.

Using a bespoke Minecraft environment created by Digital Facilitator Mark Blake, participants worked collaboratively to recreate the mining landscape they had explored. Guided by their own notes, sketches, and measurements, they constructed:

• Engine houses
• Beam engines
• Mine buildings and processing areas
• Mine shafts
• The wider industrial landscape

The library quickly became a hub of creativity and collaboration, with ideas flowing as young archaeologists translated real-world evidence into virtual structures. The integration of Cornish language, supported by the themed flashcards, added further depth to their builds.

The results were nothing short of extraordinary - detailed, thoughtful reconstructions that brought Cornwall’s mining heritage vividly to life in a format that is accessible, engaging, and future-facing. Take a journey through the amazing landscape created in Minecraft on our YouTube channel.

Inspiring the Next Generation

The energy, teamwork, and focus displayed throughout the project highlighted the potential of combining heritage education with digital skills. Participants not only gained a deeper understanding of Cornwall’s mining past but also developed new ways of thinking about how history can be shared and experienced.

This two-day programme formed part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site’s 20th anniversary celebrations, offering a hands-on opportunity for young people aged 8–16 to connect with their local heritage in a meaningful and creative way.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of:

• Cornwall National Landscape, through the Natural Beauty and the Beast project
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund
• Iain Rowe and James Richards - Cornwall National Landscape
• Mark Blake and Ed Hart - Liskeard Library
• Tanya Brown - Cornwall Young Archaeology Club

A special thank you goes to the Liskeard Library team, whose enthusiasm, support, creativity, and technical expertise turned an ambitious idea into an inspiring reality.

Looking Ahead

Pick Axes to Pixels has shown just how powerful it can be to bring together archaeology, technology, and community engagement. By enabling young people to explore the past and rebuild it in a digital space, the project has opened up exciting new possibilities for the future of heritage interpretation.

Deborah Tritton, Cornwall Council Archive Services Manager, kicked off the proceedings with a welcome to Kresen Kernow and Cllr Caroline Mott, Chair of the World Heritage Site Partnership Board, introduced the 20th anniversary and book launch. Dr Martin Critchley of the Cornubian Press then presented a short film on the cultural links between Cornwall and Mexico - ‘Mexico’s Little Cornwall’ - and video greetings from Cornish descendants in the country.

A number of distinguished guests were present, including Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Cornwall; Mrs Harriet Hills, High Sheriff of Cornwall; Kate Kennally, The Clerk for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and Chief Executive of Cornwall Council; Cllr Rob Nolan, The Chairman of Cornwall Council; The Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Jenefer Lowe; Cllr Alison Biscoe, The Mayor of Redruth; Cllr Anne Johnson, Mayor of Tavistock; Cllr Deborah Reeve, Redruth-Real del Monte Twinning Association Spokesperson; and Professor Joanie Willett, The Institute of Cornish Studies (University of Exeter). Thanks to everyone for making it a very special evening indeed.

Musical entertainment was ably provided by Alan Jewell and The Four Fifths from Redruth and copies of The Great Trek were available for signing by the author and mining migration specialist, Dr Sharron P. Schwartz. 

Supported by the World Heritage Site Partnership Board, The Great Trek is published by Cornubian Press and marks another anniversary - this being the bicentenary of Cornish steam technology reaching Real del Monte, Mexico, in 1826. 

This engaging new work uses groundbreaking research to present this remarkable story in depth, celebrating its importance as a shared chapter of Cornish and Mexican industrial history and highlighting the global reach of mining innovation originating from the heart of Cornwall. 

Copies of The Great Trek are now available for sale from the Cornubian Press, at https://cornubianpress.com/books/the-great-trek-of-the-transport-party-mexico-1825-6/

Further information on Cornish global mining migration can be found at Cousin Jack’s World, along with an excellent blog by Dr Schwartz covering the celebration and launch at https://www.cousinjacksworld.com/great-trek-book-and-film-launch/

Even better, many of these extraordinary sites are easy to reach by train and public transport, making it simple to explore sustainably while enjoying some of the UK’s most spectacular scenery along the way.

We’re delighted to be working in partnership with UNESCO‑designated sites across the South West to showcase a series of curated trails that bring these destinations to life inviting you to Explore UNESCO South West Trails in conjunction with GWR. Spanning eight UNESCO sites, each two‑day itinerary begins at a local railway station on the GWR network and uses public transport to connect visitors with inspiring landscapes, heritage sites and cultural experiences.

Tracks and Stories – Into the Heart of the Mining Landscape, is a two‑day journey by train through the tranquil Tamar Valley (Area A10) and then onto the historic mining towns of Camborne and Redruth (Area A5). Once alive with industry and innovation, these areas reveal how mining shaped communities, transport and the wider landscape. Railways were once vital for moving minerals; today they offer a sustainable way to rediscover this extraordinary heritage. This is just a taste of what the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site has to offer, each of the 10 Areas has its own distinctive character, from windswept moorland mines to coastal harbours and historic market towns – You will definitely want to come back for more!

This initiative is supported by UNESCO’s Local to Global programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, connecting local exploration with global sustainability goals.

We were delighted to receive funding from the Cornwall National Landscape last year to create Access for All resources for Area A1 – St Just Mining District and Area A7 – St Agnes Mining District. 

This year, thanks to additional funding from the Cornwall National Landscape, we have added resources for visiting the mining landscape around Caradon Hill and the village of Minions. It’s been great to have once again teamed up with the Sensory Trust to create clearer, more detailed access information for this stunning part of Bodmin Moor, which also falls within Section 12 of the Cornwall National Landscape.

These new resources will help to plan your visit and explore the rich mining heritage of the Caradon Mining District.

The workshops resulted in a collection of compelling and imaginative works have helped to interweave personal and collective stories, offering fresh insights into the lived experiences of past generations and how we connect with mining heritage today.

It was particularly moving to hear participants share their connections to the mining story, both within Cornwall and through family histories linked to migration following the decline of the mining industry.

We are delighted to have funded this initiative, which has fostered fascinating discussions and creative expression while deepening engagement with mining heritage in the St Agnes Mining District and beyond.

Once a site of intensive industrial activity, Devon Great Consols now stands as a compelling example of post-industrial regeneration, where heritage values and ecological priorities intersect. The conversation examines how the site’s historic fabric coexists with its role as a refuge for rare species such as the Greater Horseshoe Bat and the Nightjar, illustrating the nuanced challenges of managing heritage landscapes for both conservation and biodiversity.

This episode also reflects on the broader significance of such places in fostering public engagement and connection with outstanding protected landscapes, and why partnership working is so important now and in the future. Through its layered narratives of industrial heritage, ecological recovery, and community involvement, Devon Great Consols offers a powerful model for how mining landscapes can inspire renewed relationships with the natural world and support the conservation and enhancement of internationally important heritage features.

Tune into the podcast - Where Nature Meets History: Biodiversity at Devon Great Consols | Nature Connects

Heritage Matters! The Past, Present, and Future of the Tamar Catchment

1 November | 10:00am – 3:30pm at Calstock Arts

We are delighted to be on the programme for the forthcoming Heritage Matters! Symposium. A day of engaging talks exploring the intersection of environmental change, heritage, and nature-focused projects in the Tamar Catchment. Discover how the past can inform a more resilient and sustainable future.

Programme Highlights

• The potential of historic fieldscapes in understanding landscape change
• Inland fisheries as a lens into river history and environmental heritage
• The role of weirs, watercourses, and waterwheels in shaping the catchment
• Biodiversity opportunities within mining heritage landscapes
• Archaeological considerations in woodland creation schemes
• Insights from recent archaeological investigations in the Tamar Estuary
• Future prospects for fish populations in Westcountry rivers

This symposium is ideal for professionals, researchers, and community members passionate about heritage, ecology, and the future of the Tamar Valley.

For full details and to book your place via the Calstock Arts website

In 2020 the Cornish Buildings Group (CBG) and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site commenced an awards partnership with the aim to grant special awards to highlight excellence in new buildings or restorations that have enhanced the World Heritage Site.

The CBG has continued to partner with the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site to give additional special awards to new buildings or restorations that have enhanced the World Heritage Site (WHS). The World Heritage Site is concerned with conserving the Outstanding Universal Value (international importance) of the Site, which dates principally from 1700 to 1914 as the period during which the most significant industrial and social impacts occurred. The ten separate Areas of the World Heritage Site together form a unified, coherent cultural landscape and share a common identity as part of the overall exploitation of metalliferous minerals here from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. 

After much deliberation, Award winners for 2025 have been chosen and Sally Weston, World Heritage Site Lead, said:

“The World Heritage Site are delighted to continue our partnership with the Cornish Buildings Group and the presentation of our World Heritage Site Awards. Both organisations have a shared goal in encouraging sustainable, heritage-led regeneration, both through conservation of historic buildings and the development of high quality, energy-efficient new structures that demonstrate how they take inspiration from our internationally important historic mining landscapes. We are grateful to the Cornish Buildings Group panel again for undertaking the awards assessments this year and also to the recipients of our World Heritage Site Award, which have set an example for others to follow. We congratulate them for their sensitive response to the special character of their World Heritage Site location.”

Regarding the World Heritage Site, Patrick Newberry, Chairman of the Cornish Buildings Group, said:

“Working with the World Heritage Site, which does so much to preserve our mining heritage and to promote heritage-led regeneration is a great privilege, hugely reinforcing the Cornish Buildings Group’s work to encourage the preservation of Cornwall’s built heritage and to promote good new design in the built environment. Highlighting the best work in these fields is key to encouraging the sustainable development and management of our built environment.” 

The recipients of the 2025 awards were announced at a fantastic ceremony at Rosewarne House, Camborne, on 17th July. This year has seen the most awards that the Cornish Buildings Group has ever given, showing the quality and strength of restoration and new build projects across Cornwall.

The Cornish Buildings Group Awards Scheme is Cornwall’s most prestigious architectural prize celebrating excellence in areas of architectural design and applied conservation and restoration work. Every year the Council of the Cornish Buildings Group considers a broad range of project types ranging from housing estates to bus shelters, informed historic conservation to radical modern design, and independent craft skills to small and large-scale repairs and renovations. 

Our judges offer wide ranging experience in many aspects of Cornish architecture and architectural practice including conservation, design, environment, heritage, planning and research. When judging we evaluate the quality of design and/or conservation philosophy, assess the suitability of materials, appropriateness of the solution to context and the overall impact of the building.

We value entries that build on Cornish precedent or take such precedents forward in a courageous and aesthetically pleasing manner. This lively and vigorous process ensures that the Cornish Buildings Group award scheme maintains its position as a true mark of excellence.

These citations reflect our conclusions, commending some excellent work, while on others constructively offering thoughts on what might have been done differently.

For more details on the Cornish Buildings Group Awards Scheme and to see this and previous award winners, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/cornishbuildingsgroup/home

CORNISH BUILDING GROUP AWARDS 2025

AWARD WINNERS

• Ladybird Farm, St Tudy - Arco2
• Buttermarket, Redruth - Thread Architects for Redruth Revival
• Merchant House, Launceston - Scott & Co
• Church of St Torney, North Hill - local contractors for the Churches Conservation Trust

JENNY GASON AWARD WINNER

• Bude Storm Tower - Studio Arc and others, for Bude-Stratton Town Council

COMMENDATION

• 29 Polkirt Hill, Mevagissey - Rowett Architecture

WORLD HERITAGE SITE AWARD 2025 

AWARD FOR THE BEST CONSERVATION OF AN HISTORIC BUILDING

• The Buttermarket, Redruth - Thread Architects for Redruth Revival

The introductory leaflet with be available from the Tavistock Visitor Information Centre, Tavistock Museum and other local venues and accommodation providers. You can follow the links that connect you to the Visit Tavistock website where you can find resources supporting each of the trails including downloadable guides for the walks, audio trails and a digital map.

All trails are designed to be as accessible as possible within the limitations of the historic town centre.

You can discover the trails directly at www.visit-Tavistock.co.uk/heritage-trails.

Discovery Day of Talks on Saturday 26 April at Tavistock Town Hall

Discovery Day of Walks on Saturday 17 May at Tavistock and the Tamar Trails, Gulworthy

These events are part of a wider programme to Celebrate Devon’s World-Class Heritage - raising awareness of the natural and historic heritage of the six outstanding assets in Devon designated by UNESCO as being of global significance. The project is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The new Access for All resources are now available on our website and provide more details on access and facilities in these areas, including some remote locations. There are also suggestions for alternative sites: if cliff-top mine workings at St Agnes are too challenging, visitors can try Geevor, with parking off the main road and more developed tarmacked areas, or Botallack, where a National Trust tramper is available. 

In addition to bringing their much-sought mining skills and technology to the country, the Cornish also made a significant cultural impact including the introduction of the pasty. Today the paste, as it is known, is a major industry in the State of Hidalgo with tens of thousands being made and consumed daily. Descendants of the Cornish also still live in the State and the distinctive links with Cornwall have been reaffirmed in recent years with the creation of the Twinning Association and Mining and Pasty Festival in Redruth, and the annual International Paste Festival in Real del Monte.

Dr Sharron P. Schwartz, of Redruth, is the acknowledged authority in the field of Cornish mining migration and has been marking the anniversary through the creation and presentation of specialist videos and talks intended to highlight the history of the links and how these are celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic. 

As part of this Sharron was recently invited to speak to the British Society in the City of Mexico with the British Embassy being the venue for the talk, held on 7th October. Three special celebratory pull-up banners were created for the trip by Sharron with Ainsley Cocks, of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site team, and these drew considerable interest on the day. Presented in Spanish, the banners chart the origins of the British Real del Monte Mining Company, how the Cornish colony became established within this mining town and the nearby city of Pachuca, and how the links are cherished and kept alive today.

The banners were also presented at talks at the 16th International Paste Festival in Real del Monte, and finally at the UNESCO Comarca Minera Geopark event held in Pachuca on 17th October. UNESCO Global Geoparks are similar in some respects to World Heritage Sites, in that these encompass heritage of international significance, in this case geological heritage, but an area's natural, cultural and intangible heritage are also important aspects of the designation. 

The Comarca Minera Geopark expresses the rich and distinctive heritage of Pachuca and Real del Monte within the extensive geological landscape of Hidalgo and at the end of Sharron's talk the banners were donated to the Geopark team for display. The team were very grateful to accept the banners and these will be on show at various visitor sites across the Geopark to help celebrate the 200th anniversary.

To find out more about the remarkable cultural links between Cornwall and Mexico, please see: 

https://www.cornishmining.org.uk/about/news/mining-a-shared-heritage-cornwall-and-mexico-1824-2024

and Dr Schwartz's own ‘Cousin Jack’s World’ website and Facebook page:

https://www.cousinjacksworld.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/333267543141496

To find out more about UNESCO Geoparks, please see: https://www.unesco.org/en/iggp/geoparks/about

Day two focussed on National & Local Examples and Case Studies and included the premiere of the new Cornish Mining World Heritage Site film produced by the Screen Cornwall team. At the end of day two, Cornish Metals hosted a fascinating visit to South Crofty Tin Mine.

 A very successful couple of days, a big thank you to the hard work of the World Heritage UK team for organising the conference, the excellent speakers, the enthusiasm of the delegates and to Historic England and Cornish Metals for supporting the event. 

It's an amazing milestone for the team at Geevor Tin Mine Museum who do such fantastic work telling the story of mining and more importantly from their own experience of working at the mine when it was still operational. Geevor is a unique and moving experience for visitors of all ages from across the world. The enthusiasm and passion of the team brings the mining story to life for so many. The award-winning learning programme is richly deserved and the work the outreach team does a fabulous job inspiring young visitors and creating an unforgettable experience for so many school groups. It is fitting that the one-millionth visitor was St Hilary School and so important that the next generation feels connection with their heritage and sense of place.

The mine has a long history of metalliferous mining and has produced primarily tin since Geevor Tin Mines Ltd. was formed as a company in 1911. The closure of the mine in 1990 - due to the collapse of the international tin price in 1985 - could have meant the end, but Cornwall County Council was able to acquire the site and secure it for future generations to experience and enjoy. 

Since opening to the visiting public in 1993, Geevor has developed into a world-class mining heritage attraction and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Office and Partnership Board has been pleased to support it during this journey. 

Geevor Mine is the largest preserved tin mine in Europe and is recognised nationally through its Scheduled Monument status. The Registered Charity Pendeen Community Heritage acquired the lease for Geevor in 2001 and has successfully managed the site since this time.

World Heritage Site designation helped Geevor obtain £3.8 million in Heritage Lottery, Cornwall County Council, Penwith District Council and National Trust grant funding in 2007, to conserve the twenty main buildings which comprise the mine. The funds also enabled the creation of the excellent Hard Rock Museum, installed within the former Top Fitting Shop. 

The World Heritage Site Office was pleased to assist in securing grant funding for the extension of the Geevor underground experience in 2011. This exciting new section of the eighteenth-century Wheal Mexico workings was opened to the public in April that year and has proven very popular. Visitors can see intact sections of lodes and features typical of early Cornish mine workings, including hand-drilled holes for the gunpowder charges used when driving the Wheal Mexico adit level in the 1700s.

Cornwall Councillor Martyn Alvey, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change congratulated 'Pendeen Community Heritage Trust for reaching their millionth visitor. This success is testament to the enduring significance our mining heritage has for communities whose culture and identify has been shaped by the industry and the fascination visitors have with the historic mining landscapes of Cornwall. Geevor Tin Mine showcases the mining technology and innovation of its era and through the million visitors that are in addition to all the schools and colleges that visit, it continues to inspire young people to consider careers in STEM and be part of shaping Cornwall’s future prosperity, including how we transition to renewable energy tapping into lithium and other rare minerals critical to our climate adaptation’.    

Tamsin Daniel, Cornwall Council Protected & Historic Landscapes Manager, said: ‘Congratulations to Pendeen Community Heritage Trust for reaching this incredible milestone! Within a few years of taking over the operation of Geevor Tin Mine in 2001 and following investment by the Lottery and the council in the visitor experience, the Trust has doubled annual visitor figures and importantly for the local community, has created year-round employment. Geevor is a Key Centre of the Cornish Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, winning awards for their education programme, providing a unique learning experience for primary, secondary, college and university students as well as work experience opportunities in all aspects of the heritage site’s operation’.

Geevor Tin Mine is one of the Key Centres for the interpretation of the World Heritage Site, which explains the site’s mining heritage and the World Heritage designation through high-quality interpretation and an excellent guided visitor experience.

The World Heritage Site Office and Partnership Board congratulate Geevor in its success in reaching this impressive milestone, with Dave Crabtree, Partnership Board Chair, saying: ‘That this is a magnificent achievement and proves that museums can go from strength to strength. The timing of this comes just before the Cornwall Mining World Heritage Site, of which Geevor is a Key Centre hosts the World Heritage UK Conference for the first time with delegates coming from far and wide and will also experience a visit to this site during the two day Conference’.

Sally Weston, World Heritage Site Lead Officer, added: ‘This is a fantastic milestone, congratulations to all involved at the site. Geevor Tin Mine are great supporters of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, encouraging local communities and visitors to explore not just this Area but across the wider World Heritage Site, sharing the mining stories and how these feed into today’s technologies and innovation’.

You can discover more about Geevor at - https://geevor.com/ 

Designed by Truro based illustrator Keith Sparrow, this beautiful map guide provides an inspirational introduction to the World Heritage Site and really captures the ‘sense of place’ of the mining landscape. 

There are introductions to the 10 Areas that together make up one World Heritage Site and handy links to sources of further information. You can also click on the coloured map Areas to go to the related pages on this website. 

The map guide can be viewed as a PDF at World Heritage Site Illustrated Map

This year the theme is "Making the Most of World Heritage: Growing the Benefits, Avoiding the Pitfalls, Thinking Long Term".

Topics to be explored include:

Putting World Heritage to Work: ‘Downstreaming’ and Mainstreaming for a Sustainable Future

Managing development vs. conservation

World Heritage as an economic regeneration driver

Planning/LUR Act implications to World Heritage Sites

Climate Change & Nature Recovery

Revitalising Redruth’s historic town centre: how Local Partners can benefit from WHS Status

Heritage & Place Making

Alternative Futures for Heritage Assets

Arts & Heritage

Education and World Heritage

Heritage & Wellbeing

Working in a World Heritage Site

Plus site visits to:

Geevor Tin Mine

Levant Mine (National Trust)

with an optional tour of South Crofty Tin Mine (limited to 15 visitors, tickets available on a first come first served basis, from 5th August)

The conference runs from Monday 7th to Tuesday 8th October 2024 and will be held at the Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth. In person and online options are available.

Find out more about the packed programme on offer and how to book your place at https://worldheritageuk.org/events/world-heritage-uk-2024-annual-conference 

The mining sector had suffered greatly during the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). Most were abandoned and flooded, the mining towns and villages were depopulated, and Spanish capitalists had fled taking their money with them. The new Mexican government believed the mining industry to be the cornerstone of future economic prosperity. They looked to Great Britain, then the only capital rich nation in the world, to finance a revival in the mining sector, and a number of companies were floated on the London Stock Market to work mines across Mexico. The Mexican government was also highly receptive to modernising its mining industry using the new technologies of the Industrial Revolution that had been pioneered in Britain, the Workshop of the World. Britain permitted the export of its steam engine technology to Mexico, which opened the door to a new chapter in Anglo-Mexican relations.

Spurred on by the promise of significant Latin American riches, John Taylor, renowned British mining engineer and entrepreneur, formed two companies in 1824, to work Mexican mines: The Real del Monte Mining Company and the Bolaños Mining Company. Taylor looked to the mines of Cornwall to provide the skilled workforce for these pioneering mining ventures, beginning a process of labour migration from Cornwall that would persist well into the following century. Taylor also made extensive use of steam engine technology, fostering a world-class export market from the great Cornish foundries. The first significant Cornish community in the Latin Americas grew up around the rich silver mines of Real del Monte and Pachuca. With its engine houses and stacks, vernacular architecture reminiscent of Cornwall, Methodist chapels, proliferation of pasties, and love of football, the area is today known as ‘Mexico’s Little Cornwall.’

Dr Sharron P. Schwartz, of Redruth, is the foremost authority in the field of Cornish mining migration. She has researched and written extensively on the topic and specialised in the migration of Cornish labour and technology across Latin America, gaining her Doctorate in the subject with the University of Exeter. Sharron was an original member of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site bid team and undertook much of the historical research used to inform the nomination process. Sharron was also a founding member of the Cornish Mexican Cultural Society, created in the mid-2000s to highlight cultural links between Cornwall and Mexico arising primarily from the migration of mineworkers to Real del Monte and Pachuca in 1824.

To celebrate the bicentenary, Dr Schwartz has worked with the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site Office to produce three celebratory information banners, which are on display across the World Heritage Site. 

The banners at Geevor Tin Mine, King Edward Mine, and the Tavistock Guildhall, can also be seen here - please follow the links below to view.

Celebrating 200 Years of Mining Heritage - Penwith area banner

Celebrating 200 Years of Mining Heritage - Camborne area banner

Celebrating 200 Years of Mining Heritage - Tavistock area banner

Dr Schwartz has also produced three excellent short films which chart the journey of the 1824 party from Britain to Mexico. To view the films and learn more about this fascinating story, please use the following links.

The Bicentennial (1824-2024): Cornish Mineworkers in Real del Monte-Pachuca, Mexico, Part One

The Bicentennial (1824-2024): Cornish Mineworkers in Real del Monte-Pachuca, Mexico, Part Two

The Bicentennial (1824-2024): Cornish Mineworkers in Real del Monte-Pachuca, Mexico, Part Three

Dr Schwartz maintains a website dedicated to Cornish mining migration - ‘Cousin Jacks World’ - and also a Facebook page, which build on her doctoral studies and provide a wealth of information about sites with Cornish mining connections - please visit 

Website: https://www.cousinjacksworld.com/ 

and 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/333267543141496

Representatives of the World Heritage Site team chose organisations they felt most demonstrated an outstanding commitment to our core values of environmental sustainability and inclusion. Our decisions were aided by two expert judges: Kathy Moore - Director of the Climate Museum UK (Environmental Sustainability) and Sophie Meyer - Engagement Manager at Cornwall Heritage Trust and Director of Queer Kernow (Inclusion).

The award is split into two subcategories, one for larger organisations and one for smaller organisations.

The winner of the award for large organisations was Archives and Cornish Studies Service at Kresen Kernow with commendations awarded to Wheal Martyn and Penlee House Gallery & Museum.  

The winner of the award for smaller organisations was Mevagissey Museum with commendations awarded to Saltash Heritage and St Ives Museum.

Congratulations to all of the winners! 
…and a big thank you to everyone who organised and participated in the Cornwall Heritage Awards 2024. 

_________________________________________

The Cornwall Heritage Awards are a collaboration between Cornwall Museums Partnership and South West Museum Development. Since 2018, they have brought together the very best projects, collaborations, initiatives and teams from organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the Cornwall Heritage Awards. The awards celebrate the positive impact of museum and heritage organisations have on climate, social justice, communities, local economies, wellbeing and those who work in the museum and heritage sector.