Latest developments from site

The focus during the last month at Heartlands has been to conserve the mine buildings within the Robinsons Shaft complex. The Carpenters Shed (top picture) which will be restored and become the restaurant and cafe, has undergone works to protect the existing structure until further works begin later this year.

The winding house has also had protective works undertaken, with scaffolding being erected and a temporary roof built to ensure the winding gear inside the building is protected until major works begin.
The winding house and engine house, above, will become part of the exhibition space at Heartlands. The mine buildings are Grade II* listed and will be fully restored with the machinery they contain. The buildings will interpret Robinsons Shaft's status as a Gateway site to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and will contain free to enter exhibitions which will tell the story of Cornish Mining and Miners. The exhibitions will focus on the people who contributed to mining history - miners themselves, engineers, inventors, builders, landowners and merchants, using interactive audio and visual techniques. Their content will be derived from oral histories of ex-miners and their families and the local community of Pool.

Beam engine moves again after 55 years!

Opening up the beam engine

The beam engine which sits within the Robinsons Shaft complex at the centre of Heartlands returned to motion last week after 55 years.

Robinsons Engine House at Heartlands.

Engineers have been exploring the possibilities of how we can power up the Robinsons pumping engine for when Heartlands opens. The Robinsons beam engine was used to continuously pump water from the mine from 1906 until 1955. Electric pumps were used at Robinsons after this time due to the cost of maintaining the Cornish pumping engines.

An engineer gets inside the beam engine to inspect its condition.

International Council on Mining and Metals visits Heartlands

Heartlands was visited by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) to show how a cultural regeneration project is developing in Cornwall.

ICMM, who are the industry's leadership association in mining and sustainable development visited Heartlands as part of a trip hosted by the Eden Project.

The delegation was made up of 20 people with a wide and diverse background and expertise related to international mining, from high level mining executives of some of the biggest mining companies in the world to staff based in London offices.