Clay Mining

Cornwall, in addition to its seafaring culture, is well known as a centre for mining tin and clay.
Whilst the tin mining industry has all but disappeared china clay mining is thriving.

Close to the site of the Eden Project, itself built inside a disused clay pit, is Wheal Martyn, a museum located on the site of two old china clay works.

The museum has preserved all of the machinery, drying tanks and buildings exactly as they were when it was in full operation. Roaming in between these industrial relics was a real privilege and extremely interesting.

Right next door to the open air park is a working open cast clay pit and we were able to look down on this huge lunar landscape whilst lorries and diggers the size of houses chewed up the decaying granite and assorted rock.

China clay or Kaolin is the product of decaying feldspar in granite. The feldspar changes into a fine white powder but, the other parts of the granite, Mica and Quartz stay the same. China clay, in addition to its well known use in fine china pottery, is used in a staggering array of other materials and products: Paper, cosmetics, paint, plastics, rubber and pharmaceuticals to name a few.

After the museum we headed on down to a place called Charlestown. Charlestown is the main location where the china clay, especially from Wheal Martin, was exported. It was purpose built just for this purpose and is a perfectly preserved example of an early Victorian harbour … today much loved by film directors filming period dramas.

All in all an excellent day out …