New trails open on Cornish Alps clay pits
Multi-use trails are opening across the Cornish Alps industrial area in Cornwall as old mining pits close and nature returns.
Trails replace restricted access zones
New multi-use paths are now opening access to locations that were previously restricted from public entry. These routes allow people to walk through vast pits, vivid green lagoons and man-made peaks formed by mining. The land is being handed back to nature as old extraction sites cease operations. Visitors can now explore new corners of their hometown without needing special permission.
History of china clay mining
Cornwall produced around 50 percent of the world's china clay by 1910, exporting roughly three-quarters of its output. The industry transformed a 35-square-mile expanse into a landscape of industrial features and former heathland. William Cookworthy identified the source near Helston in 1746 while searching for porcelain materials. By the mid-20th Century, working pits were located right outside homes and schools in villages like St Dennis.
Museum guides local heritage
Volunteer guide Steve Hawken is employed at Wheal Martyn, which stands as the sole china clay museum in the UK. He began his career cycling to Littlejohns Pit at age 15 to run errands for the industry. This institution narrates Cornwall's china clay industry history and how it affected community living. The site additionally functions as a visitor information stop for those touring the adjacent Luxulyan Valley and Charlestown regions.
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