While metalliferous mine sites with their component Cornish-type engine houses and other features are somewhat recognisable within the landscapes of Cornwall and west Devon, former mineworkers’ smallholdings are much less so. These are often mistaken as simply small fields, or clusters of small fields, associated with commercial farming.

Historically, these smallholdings comprised small subsistence farms whereby mineworkers would manage a small landholding of perhaps 3 to 5 acres in size, to grow fruit, vegetables and perhaps raise chickens or pig. In this way the income of the mineworker would be greatly supplemented by the efforts of the family at home.

The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site is a member of the Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme, which constitutes a five-year programme of activities that encompass a range of outcomes in the Tamar Valley focusing on the four themes of ‘People and communities’, ‘Heritage’, ‘Access and sustainable tourism’, and ‘Farming and land management’.

This study was commissioned by the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Office on behalf of the World Heritage Site Partnership, the Tamara Landscape Partnership and the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The assessment was undertaken to record smallholding mineworkers within the Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme area, in the mid-nineteenth century, using primarily parish Tithe data and Census Returns. A total of 77 smallholding mineworker case studies were produced across three parishes, with genealogical histories created for each. 

The research provides an excellent ‘snapshot’ of smallholding mineworkers living in the Tamar Valley in the mid-nineteenth century and the exhaustive genealogical detail contained with the respective case studies will be of considerable benefit to those undertaking genealogical research into families that have links with the valley and also those wishing to interpret this aspect of mining history.

For more information on the Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme, please visit https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk

This research was made possible through support from the Heritage Fund

Mineworkers’ Smallholdings within the Tamara Landscape Partnership area

This report is being shared as separate PDFs in addition to its original complete form to aid downloading. 

PDF document reader software may be required to view these files, which can be downloaded from the Adobe website

Report contents (as separate PDF files)

• Pages 01 - 25 - Purpose of the research, methodology, study overview and index
• Pages 26 - 87 - Case studies - Calstock Parish surnames A to F
• Pages 88 - 133 - Case studies - Calstock Parish surnames G to L
• Pages 134 - 195 - Case studies - Calstock Parish surnames M to R
• Pages 196 - 286 - Case studies - Calstock Parish surnames S to Z
• Pages 287 - 341 - Case studies - Stoke Climsland Parish surnames A to M
• Pages 342 - 370 - Case studies - Stoke Climsland Parish surnames N to Z
• Pages 371 - 396 - Case studies - Bere Ferrers Parish surnames A to M
• Pages 397 - 415 - Case studies - Bere Ferrers Parish surnames N to Z
• Pages 416 - 419 - Index of surnames
• Pages 420 - 425 - Index of places

Mineworkers’ Smallholdings within the Tamara Landscape Partnership area (complete PDF, 426 pages, 82MB)

© Tamara Landscape Partnership/Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty/Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site 2023

These landscape features are described as ‘Attributes’ and individually and collectively they express the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), or international importance, of the World Heritage Site (WHS). There are seven Attribute types within the WHS, all of which can support nature in one form or another.

The Ecological Audit explores the potential role of both the Attributes of OUV and the inherent landscape character of the WHS Areas in supporting biodiversity. It identifies the main features that contribute to this and describes some of the likely habitats and species that utilise these ecosystems across the WHS.

PDF document reader software may be required to view the Ecological Audit files below and this can be downloaded from the Adobe website if required.

The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Ecological Audit 2026

• Ecological Audit Project Final Report 2026 (pages 01 - 97)

      (Inc. Appendix 1 - The landscape Attributes of the WHS with nature potential)

Ecological Audit Appendices 2 to 8

• Appendix 2 - WHS Ecological Audit Gazetteer May 2026
• Appendix 3 WHS Ecological Audit Gap Analysis March 2026 Sheets 1-3
• Appendix 3 WHS Ecological Audit Gap Analysis March 2026 Sheets 4-6
• Appendix 4 - Statements of Significance May 2026

Area Designations Maps - Area A1 to A10

• Appendix 5.1 - Area A1 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.2 - Area A2 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.3 - Area A3 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.4 - Area A4 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.5 - Area A5 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.6 - Area A6 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.7 - Area A7 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.8 - Area A8 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.9 - Area A9 Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 5.10 - Area A10 Map Final March 2026

Landscape Change Analysis Ground Truthing

• Appendix 6 - Landscape Change Analysis Ground Truthing

Area Landscape Change Maps - Area A1 to A10

• Appendix 7.1 - Area A1 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.2 - Area A2 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.3 - Area A3 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.4 - Area A4 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.5 - Area A5 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.6 - Area A6 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.7 - Area A7 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.8 - Area A8 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.9 - Area A9 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026
• Appendix 7.10 - Area A10 Landscape Change Map Final March 2026

Suggested Monitoring Indicators

• Appendix 8 - Suggested Monitoring Indicators - Final April 2026

Part of the associative value of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site relates to mining-related migration. It is estimated that between 1815 and 1915, up to 500,000 workers from Cornwall sought employment beyond the Duchy, with about half of these understood to have migrated within the UK. This legacy is illustrated through the rich industrial archaeological building remains across the UK and by the tens of thousands of people of Cornish and west Devon descent in many former industrial districts throughout Britain. 

The Mine Management Research Project records some of these migrants, specifically the skilled mine Captains, or managers, from Cornwall and west Devon which made their mark across Britain during the nineteenth century.

PDF document reader software may be required to view the files below, which can be downloaded from the Adobe website if necessary.

Mine Management Research Project 2021 (pages 01 - 82)

Mine Management Research Project 2021 - Database Records List

At 19,710 hectares over ten Areas, crossing from Cornwall into Devon, the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (‘Cornish Mining’) World Heritage Site is the largest industrial World Heritage Site in the UK, with multiple owners and management interests and around 90,000 residents. 

The World Heritage Site Management Plan

The World Heritage Site Management Plan, for the period 2020-2025, is the second since inscription of the mining landscape of Cornwall and west Devon as a World Heritage Site (WHS), by UNESCO in 2006. 

The Management Plan has been adopted by the partner local authorities (Cornwall Council, West Devon Borough Council and Devon County Council) and can be downloaded using the links below (it is divided into four sections for ease of use).

The purpose of the Management Plan

The Management Plan is designed as a framework within which the various management interests work to ensure that our internationally significant mining landscape is cared for and its international importance understood and celebrated, in line with the obligations set out in the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). The Plan framework also enables the mining landscape to adapt to meet the needs of the people who live within the Site whilst ensuring its Outstanding Universal Value (international importance) is protected.  

PDF document reader software may be required for this which can be downloaded from the Adobe website if necessary.

The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Management Plan 2020-2025

• Pages 01 - 23 - Preface, Foreword, Introduction and Brief Description of the Site
• Pages 24 - 89 - Area descriptions, The Setting of the World Heritage Site, Governance
• Pages 90 - 148 - Issues and Opportunities
• Pages 149 - 180 - Policy Framework and Strategic Actions, Monitoring Arrangements

Management Plan Appendices 1 - 3

• Appendix 1 – World Heritage Site Area Statements A1 - A10
• Appendix 2 – World Heritage Site Monitoring Report 2019
• Appendix 3 – Selection methodology for World Heritage Site Attribute conservation 2019

To see where the World Heritage Site Areas are within Cornwall and west Devon, please use the links to the interactive mapping below.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's Historic Environment Interactive Mapping

Devon County Council Environment Viewer

Static maps of the ten World Heritage Site Areas can be seen by using the links below.

• A1 St Just Mining District
• A2 The Port of Hayle
• A3 Tregonning and Gwinear Mining Districts with Trewavas 
• A4 Wendron Mining District
• A5 Camborne and Redruth Mining District with Wheal Peevor and Portreath Harbour
• A6 Gwennap Mining District with Devoran and Perran and Kennall Vale
• A7 The St Agnes Mining District
• A8 The Luxulyan Valley and Charlestown
• A9 The Caradon Mining District
• A10i The Tamar Valley Mining District with Tavistock
• A10ii Tavistock

For information about planning development within the World Heritage Site, please see our Planning within the World Heritage Site page.