This gentle route around Redruth takes in old mine workings, mineral tramways and quiet lanes, offering an accessible introduction to Cornwall's industrial past. It is a walk of contrasts: granite gateposts, mossy engine houses and the bright call of a wren in the scrub. Allow three to four hours at an easy pace, with time to read the interpretation boards and linger over a flask of tea.
Begin in the town centre, where the streets still follow the shape of the old market town. From the railway station, climb gently towards the clock tower and pick up the signed Mineral Tramways route. The first stretch is on tarmac and compacted gravel, so it suits most walkers. If you are arriving by bus or train, this is a simple day out without a car.
Take water, a waterproof and a paper map. Mobile signal is good in places but patchy in the deeper cuttings. Dogs are welcome on leads around livestock and near open mine shafts.
The old tramways were the arteries of the mining district. Horses and, later, small locomotives hauled wagons of ore, coal and timber along these routes. Today the grades are kind, and the path rolls between hedges, spoil tips and young woodland. Look for the flat, straight sections where rails once ran, and the shallow curves that eased the wagons around hills.
You will pass the remains of loading wharves and small sidings. Mineral tramways are not just transport history; they shaped the landscape. The embankments are now havens for foxgloves, stonechats and adders. In spring, the gorse is loud with yellow and coconut scent. In autumn, the beech and oak leaves make a fine crunch underfoot.
Cornwall's tin and copper mining boom peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Redruth sat at its heart. The gaunt engine houses you see are the cathedrals of that age. Their beam engines pumped water from deep shafts, hoisted ore and crushed rock. Some stood over mines that reached hundreds of metres below the surface, following rich copper and tin lodes under the moor.
Pause at the interpretation boards. They explain the whim, the stamps and the calciner, and the dangerous work of the miners. Men and boys drilled by candlelight, while women and girls — the bal maidens — broke and dressed ore at the surface. The waste tips, or spoil heaps, are now quiet, but they still carry the mark of hard labour. Please keep to the paths and never enter fenced shafts or adits.
Mining depended on a web of traditional crafts. Blacksmiths forged drills and picks, carpenters timbered the shafts, stonemasons shaped granite for engine houses and count houses, and coopers made the kibbles that lifted ore. Cornish hedges — stone faced with earth and plants — were built to shelter fields and lanes, and many still line this walk.
Some of these crafts survive in workshops and heritage centres around the county, and you will see their work in the gates, walls and buildings along the trail. A little attention to detail — a carved date stone, a handmade gate latch — brings the past close.
From the tramway, follow quiet lanes back towards Redruth. The return is mostly downhill, with wide views over Carn Brea and the coast beyond. If you have energy left, a short detour to the town's heritage centre or a local bakery makes a satisfying end. Otherwise, settle on a bench and watch the light change over the old workings.
This walk is best in spring and autumn, when the light is soft and the paths are quiet. In summer, start early to avoid the heat; in winter, expect mud and short daylight. However you walk it, the mining trails of Redruth offer a gentle, grounded way into Cornwall's industrial heritage — and a reminder that this quiet landscape was once one of the most industrious places on earth.
The Tinners shares practical, down-to-earth guidance on cornish heritage, tin mining history and traditional crafts for readers across the UK.
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