Mineral Tramways Coast to Coast

History

The Coast to Coast trail links the two former mineral ports of Portreath on the north coast and Devoran on the south, following as closely as it can the tramway and railway routes that carried ore and supplies between the mines and the ports. Its northern section follows the first tramroad, or plateway, in Cornwall, which opened in 1812 to link the Gwennap mines with Portreath. Its southern section runs through the Gwennap mines themselves and follows the Redruth and Chasewater Railway, which opened in 1824 and ran to new wharves at Devoran on the River Fal; traffic on that line survived until well into the 20th century.

The trails were made by the Mineral Tramways Heritage Project. Cornwall County Council set the project up in 1989 to open the old railways and tramways as cycleways, bridleways and footpaths so that people could explore the relics of the mining industry. Cornwall Council describes the Mineral Tramways Heritage Project as a £6 million regeneration project that it managed, funded by Objective One, the South West Regional Development Agency, the Heritage Lottery Fund and parish and town councils in the project area. It gives the Coast to Coast Trail as 11 miles (17.5 km), generally level and mostly off road.