Poldark Mine at Trenear near Wendron
The history of this site as an industrial museum began in 1972 when Peter Young, intending to buy a wardrobe at auction, instead somehow bought Wendron Forge! Here he set up his collection of steam engines. Then, excavating into the hillside, he discovered the workings of abandoned Wheal Roots mine, which he opened to the public. With the success of the Poldark TV series the name of the site was changed from Wendron Forge to Poldark Mine. The present mining enthusiast owners took over in 1999. The history of mining here goes back a long way. Find a massive granite rock in the main car park and you will be looking at the famous Wendron mortar stone, where tin ore was ground before 1200BC. Look in the museum and you will see a copy of John Trenere's 1493 lease from the Duchy of Cornwall; outside is his original wheelpit. Force of circumstance - private ownership, no public funding (ever) and the need to pump vast volumes of water - means that this is an odd site. On the one hand, a genuine mine (good underground tour), wonderful machinery, a superb museum and helpful, knowledgeable staff. On the other hand, thanks to the need to keep up cashflow, there is an assortment of craft shops, shops and entertainments to bring in the the general public. But it's worth it for the real stuff. Caf� and ample parking.
On B3297 Helston-Redruth, just north of Wendron.
Poldark Mine and its winding gear
Update October 2014: Poldark Mine entered administration in March of 2014 following a downturn in visitor numbers. In October 2014 sold to "an experienced leisure operator" for an undisclosed sum off a guide price of �350,000. Apparently it is still operating normally.
May 2020 - Poldfark Mine now has a very comprehensive and informative web site at http://www.poldarkmine.org.uk/
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Richard Trevithick
Trevithick