SURFERS AND INDUSTRIAL archaeologists will be familiar with the small village of Porthtowan on the north facing coast of Cornwall. It has a magnificent beach from which one can watch or immerse oneself in the glorious foam crested rollers. The name of the village derives from the Cornish ‘Porthtewyn’, which means ‘landing place at the sand dunes’. The road from the major A30 highway to Porthtowan passes through a wild landscape that resulted from intensive mining activity in the distant past.

The terrain through which the road winds its way is dotted with the ruined remains of industrial buildings: engine houses for mines and chimneys of the former foundries and other processing plants. Most of these relics are recognisable but in a dilapidated state. However, we passed on of them, which has been beautifully restored, and converted into guest accommodation.

Tin mining in Cornwall ‘took off’ in earnest in the 16^th century. During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, deep mining for tin and copper was a major activity in the county. Mining of arsenic was added to this, and for a while in the late 19^th century, Cornwall was a major supplier of this for the world. The engine houses that dotted the landscape housed steam operated pumping engines that allowed mines to be dug deeper than before.

Today, mining in Cornwall has declined. However, it might pick up now that valuable deposits of lithium containing ore are beginning to be found. The landscape through which we drove to Porthtowan is now protected from development by having become part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.