St Just Mining District (UNESCO)
St Just Mining District was one of the most concentrated areas of undersea mining in the world in the 18th and 19th centuries and was a major producer of copper and tin.
Here some mines had underground workings that stretched far out under the sea, some as far as a mile. The oldest remaining Cornish beam engine was built in 1840 and sits at Levant, where it still works under steam.
Other mines here include Botallack Mine and Geevor Mine which closed in 1990. Today, visitors can still visit the mines and learn all about their history at the museum at Geevor. St Just is also home to granite mine workers’ cottages, public squares, shops, cafés, art galleries and even a medieval grassed amphitheatre.
St Just Mining District (UNESCO) offers an insight into the local past…