Geevor Tin Mine, at the Heart of the Local Community

Geevor is the last complete example of a 20th century Cornish tin mine. The mine buildings and their contents, the underground trip into 18th century Wheal Mexico Mine and the mining museum tell the story of the Cornish mining industry.

Geevor closed as a working mine in 1990. Cornwall County Council purchased the site in 1992 and the following year the mine was opened as a mining museum. Since 2001 the museum has been managed by a local charity, Pendeen Community Heritage, and has become a multi-award winning attraction and heritage education centre. 

Tin and copper have been mined in Cornwall since the Bronze Age.

In the 18th and 19th centuries Cornwall and West Devon were the site of huge industrial activity testimony to one of the greatest periods of technological, economic and social development that Britain has ever known. The tin and copper from the mines provided the essential raw materials to feed the industrial revolution in Britain and pioneered developments that helped shape the society that we live in today.

The landscapes of Cornwall and West Devon were radically re-shaped during the 18th and 19th centuries by the metal mining industry.

The engine houses and mines, villages and towns, foundries, factories, railways, ports and harbours reflected the innovation that enabled the region to become the world’s largest producer of tin and copper in the 19th century and in the late 1800’s the world’s largest producer of arsenic.

In 2006 UNESCO granted the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Status with Geevor recognised as a key centre within the World Heritage Site. A major lottery grant financed the restoration and refurbishment of many of the buildings and the creation of a new Hard Rock museum. Geevor is now well established as a centre of educational excellence, a leading industrial heritage site and a fun place to visit.

The processes involved in safely and profitably extracting valuable minerals from under the earth are complex and expensive.

Every mine requires people with a range of skills from geologists, surveyors, mining engineers, electrical and mechanical engineers to ventilation and rock mechanics engineers. 

When the valuable mineral-bearing rock has been delivered to the surface experienced mineral processing engineers are tasked with processes involving crushing and grinding of the rock followed by separating techniques that eventually lead to the recovery of the valuable minerals and metals.

The town of St Just, village of Pendeen and associated hamlets are all situated within the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, with Geevor the focal point reflecting the culture and heritage of the region. All ex-miners have free access to the museum and there are strong links with local schools.

Geevor is located in the St Just mining district, one of the ten areas of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. It is home to the largest collection of undersea tin mines in the world! The area has been designated as the ‘Tin Coast’ and a partnership of local businesses has been formed to boost sustainable tourism to this unique part of west Cornwall.