The Coast to Coast Trail

Last updated: 07/05/2009 Add to My Bookmarks

The Coast to Coast Trail (17.5km; 11 miles) links the historic mining harbours of Portreath in the North and Devoran in the South, both so important in the transportation of Cornish copper to Swansea for smelting, and Welsh coal, Scandinavian timber and many other supplies for use in Cornish mines. Mostly off-road, the trail passes through ancient woodland, heathland important for wildlife and historic mining sites now transformed by nature. It takes about five hours to walk at a steady pace on mostly level ground. The best places to park for this trail are at Portreath or Devoran. Parking is also available at the Cycle Hire shops listed under Coast to Coast Trail on our Facilities on or near the trails and nearby Villages web page.

Thanks to its geology, the Redruth-Camborne area was the world's largest producer of tin and copper and 'the richest square mile to be found in the old world'

The winning of tin throughout Cornwall began from before the Roman period, and from as early as the 1690s up to 1,000 people were employed in the Poldice Valley tin workings. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arsenic works in the Bissoe Valley flourished, and mining waste in the lower Carnon Valley was reworked by large tin streaming works, the last mine closing in 1991. The trail closely follows the line of an early horse-worked tramroad, the Portreath Tramroad (the first surface tramroad in Cornwall, opened in 1812) and the Redruth and Chasewater Railway. This was built from 1825 to serve mines in the Redruth area and take copper ore from Gwennap, then the richest copper producing area in the old world known as "the Copper Kingdom", to Devoran, a village that grew up around the many wharves built by the railway company.

Fact: Thanks to its geology, the Redruth-Camborne-St Day area was the world's largest producer of tin and copper and 'the richest square mile to be found in the old world'