Redruth

We spent the afternoon at the National Trust's East Pool Mine and in the surrounding town of Redruth. Redruth was at the heart of Cornwall's tin and copper mining in the 19th century (See 1890s photo in extra) and the owners of the mineral rights became unbelievably rich.  Redruth is full of fine old buildings fallen on hard times when the bottom fell out of the tin and copper markets in the early 20th century.  East Pool Mine was reopened by the government during WW2 because it was the only British source of tungsten needed for armaments.  Some investors are currently pumping the water out of an adjacent abandoned mine to see if it's viable to mine the tin still in there as the world price of tin has rocketed recently.

The main shows two modern sculptures of tin miners, one in the Mine itself and one in Fore Street, Redruth, a fun bronze sculpture of dogs cast from old Wellington boots, and Fore Street with the Town Clock.