Where is the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape located?

It spans ten separate areas across Cornwall and West Devon, including St Just, St Agnes, Gwennap, Bodmin Moor, and the Tamar Valley.

Why is the Mining Landscape a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

It represents the global significance of Cornwall and West Devon in the development of mining technology, industry, and landscape design.

What is the best walk in the Mining Landscape?

The South West Coast Path near St Agnes Head or Botallack offers some of the most iconic walking, with engine houses set above the sea.

Is the Mining Landscape suitable for families?

Yes — there are short coastal walks, accessible cycle routes, and family-friendly heritage sites such as Geevor Tin Mine.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and summer bring wildflowers and long coastal days, while autumn and winter highlight the dramatic character of the cliffs and historic sites.

Walking Holidays & Outdoor Adventures in the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site

Engine Houses, Moorland Trails, and Industrial Heritage

The Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape is one of England’s most distinctive UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore on foot — a cultural landscape recognised in 2006 for its global importance in the history of tin and copper mining. Stretching across ten separate areas in Cornwall and West Devon, this remarkable landscape combines rugged coastline, open moorland, river valleys, and historic mining settlements shaped by centuries of human industry and innovation.

For those seeking walking holidays, the Mining Landscape offers a unique network of trails linking clifftop engine houses, industrial harbours, moorland ridges, and former mining districts. Routes pass dramatic coastal sites such as Wheal Coates and Botallack, wind through historic harbour towns including Charlestown and Hayle, and cross open ground on Bodmin Moor and in the Tamar Valley. These paths also lend themselves naturally to scenic cycling holidays, particularly along the Mineral Tramways network, where former industrial routes now support slower, traffic-free travel. With a strong range of independent places to stay across Cornwall and West Devon, the Mining Landscape is well suited to both short breaks and longer self-guided journeys. For wider outdoor adventures, the blend of coast, moorland, and heritage-rich countryside offers constant variety.

About the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape is recognised as a living industrial landscape — one where mining technology, transport networks, settlements, and land use evolved together over several centuries. At its height, this region was at the forefront of global mining innovation, exporting expertise, machinery, and labour around the world.

Today, engine houses, miners’ cottages, quays, and abandoned workings remain embedded within the countryside, forming a powerful connection between past and present. Walking through the Mining Landscape reveals how industry shaped both the land and the communities that depended on it, creating a setting where heritage and outdoor exploration are inseparable.

Counties: Cornwall, Devon

Trails & Routes in the Mining Landscape

South West Coast Path (Mining Heritage Sections)

‍Clifftop walking near St Just, St Agnes, and Porthtowan, with engine houses set against Atlantic views.

Mineral Tramways Trails

‍A 37-mile network of largely traffic-free routes linking former mining districts between Portreath and Devoran.

Tamar Valley Discovery Trails‍

‍Circular walks exploring wooded river valleys, orchards, and historic mining sites along the Cornwall–Devon border.

Caradon Hill Trails

‍Moorland routes across Bodmin Moor connecting quarries, mine workings, and wide-ranging viewpoints.

Adventure Highlights

Iconic cliff-top engine houses including Wheal Coates, Botallack, and Levant
UNESCO-protected mining villages and historic harbour towns
Rugged coastal walking with expansive Atlantic views
Moorland hikes across Bodmin Moor and the fringes of Dartmoor
Traffic-free cycling on the Mineral Tramways Trails
Industrial heritage sites at Geevor Tin Mine and King Edward Mine
Peaceful river valleys of the Tamar with woodlands and orchards
Excellent opportunities for walking holidays, cycling holidays, and outdoor adventures

Outdoor Adventures

The Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape offers a richly varied setting for self-guided outdoor adventures, where coastal walking, moorland exploration, and industrial heritage come together. Days can be spent following clifftop paths past abandoned engine houses, walking quiet tramway routes through former mining districts, or exploring wooded river valleys shaped by centuries of industry. Along the coast, the South West Coast Path delivers dramatic Atlantic views, while inland routes across Bodmin Moor and the Tamar Valley provide space, solitude, and wide horizons.

Cycling is particularly well suited to the Mining Landscape, with traffic-free routes on the Mineral Tramways Trails and quiet country lanes linking villages, valleys, and heritage sites. Whether exploring at a gentle pace or covering longer distances between coast and moorland, the landscape supports a wide range of walking holidays, cycling holidays, and outdoor adventures rooted in history and place.

Explore the Area

St Just – Clifftop mining village surrounded by engine houses and Atlantic-facing coastal paths
St Agnes – Historic mining village with dramatic coastal walking and nearby tramway trails
Charlestown – Georgian harbour village shaped by copper and china clay export
Hayle – Estuary town with strong industrial heritage and links to the South West Coast Path
Gwennap – Former mining heartland with woodland walks and historic settlements
Bodmin Moor – Open moorland landscape dotted with quarries, engine houses, and ancient routes
Tamar Valley – Wooded river landscape with historic mines, orchards, and peaceful walking trails