South Phoenix Mine Ruins

Cornwall's World Heritage SiteIn 2006 Cornwall and West Devon was declared a World Heritage Site because of the important role its mining history has played in metal extraction around the world.There was a saying in the late 19th century: "If there's a hole in the ground, you'll find a Cornish man in it." When Cornwall's mines failed, men travelled the world in search of riches and engine houses very similar to the one pictured above can be found in places as far away as Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand.The village of Minions exists thanks to mining. Before 1800 there was little here except a few farmhouses in the sheltered valleys. But in the 1830s copper was discovered beneath Caradon Hill and the area was soon flooded with miners from all over Cornwall.

Numerous remains can still be seen today, including the route of the railway tracks that transported the ore to Looe Harbour and the engine houses that were used to pump water out of the mines or to lift out the rocks.

A hike from Minions will take you through a wonderful history life on Bodmin Moor. From the prehistoric Hurler's and Pipers to the mining industry in ruins here.