Botallack, near St Just, west Cornwall
Crown Mines
Industrial heritage
Place photograph
8.6
Wildland
1–2 hours
Time
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Cost
Dramatic
Feel
Why it's Wildland
8.6Two engine houses cling to the cliffs above workings that extended beneath the Atlantic. At Crown Mines, Cornwall’s industrial past is not tucked behind museum glass: its surviving structures stand in the exposed landscape they helped transform.
Crown Mines earns its place because the mining story and the landscape are inseparable: engine houses occupy a rugged cliffside above an industrial network that reached out beneath the sea. It is a striking heritage visit, but the steep routes, uneven ground, mineshafts and unguarded drops demand care.
Dramatic · Atmospheric · Wild
Find your way
Open mapBotallack, near St Just, west Cornwall
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The experience
Allow around 1–2 hours to take in the surviving mine buildings and the coastal setting. Start at the Count House, then explore the mine landscape from footpaths, keeping well clear of shafts and cliff edges. The supplied evidence supports a short visit, but not a detailed, measured route.
Things to do
See the surviving engine houses
View the mine’s surviving engine houses in their cliffside setting. Keep to footpaths and stay well clear of shafts and unguarded drops.
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Explore the coastal mine landscape
Take a short walk on the clifftop paths to experience the relationship between the mine remains and the rugged coast. No distance or complete circuit is established by the supplied sources.
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Visit the Count House
Use the Count House as the starting point for visitor information; the supplied sources also list toilets and a nearby café. Check current opening details.
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Make a day of it
Quick escape · About 1 hour; estimated, not a published route duration
Quick Escape: Engine Houses and Clifftop Views
- 01
Start at Botallack Count House.
- 02
Follow footpaths to view the surviving mine buildings from a safe distance.
- 03
Take in the coastal setting, then return by the same paths.
Half day · Half day; suggested, not a published itinerary
Make a Half Day of It: Mine Landscape and Count House
- 01
Begin at the Count House and check current visitor information and facilities.
- 02
Explore the mine buildings and coastal paths at a careful, unhurried pace.
- 03
Allow time to look at the industrial remains and the exposed coastline.
- 04
Finish with a stop at the Count House Café if it is open.
Verified history
Crown Mines began around 1721, according to Britain Express. The surviving Lower Engine House dates from the 1830s; work on the Upper Engine House began in 1858. Britain Express describes the Boscawen Diagonal Shaft, dug in 1858, as reaching lodes more than a third of a mile beneath the seabed. The Tripadvisor source identifies Botallack as part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site and describes its former tin and copper workings, including submarine mining. These accounts make the surviving engine houses tangible evidence of a mine built into the cliffs and extending under the sea.
Hidden details
The mine reached beneath the seabed — Britain Express reports that the 1858 Boscawen Diagonal Shaft accessed lodes more than a third of a mile under the sea bed. The mine’s coastal setting was therefore also its working terrain.
The engine houses have different dates — The Lower Engine House was built in the 1830s; work on the Upper Engine House began in 1858. Compare their positions and forms from the paths, without approaching unsafe ground.
When to go
· Countryside access is listed as dawn to dusk. No quieter or seasonally optimal time is verified by the supplied sources.
The supplied evidence does not identify a best season or a seasonal wildlife or landscape highlight.
This is a cliffside coastal site with steep routes and uneven surfaces. Check conditions and current site guidance before visiting; keep well away from drops and mineshafts.
What to look for
Look for the surviving Upper and Lower Engine Houses against the cliffside, and notice how the industrial remains sit directly within the exposed coastal landscape. Keep to marked footpaths and do not approach mine openings or cliff edges.
The story
Cornish tin and copper mining; cliff mining and industrial heritage
Best time to go
Check conditions before travelling; no specific best season is established by the supplied sources.
The supplied sources do not establish a best season or time of day. Countryside access is listed as dawn to dusk; check current site information before setting out.
How long to spend
1–2 hours
Perfect for
History lovers · Walkers · Photographers
Before you go
Address
Website
Listed hours
- Monday: 10am-3pm
- Tuesday: 10am-3pm
- Wednesday: 10am-3pm
- Thursday: 10am-3pm
- Friday: 10am-3pm
- Saturday: 10am-3pm
- Sunday: 10am-3pm
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
A National Trust site on the Tin Coast. The countryside is listed as open from dawn to dusk; the car park uses the JustPark app for payment and member check-in. Keep to footpaths: the former mine has steep drops and shafts.
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Parking
Car park at Botallack; non-members pay using the JustPark app and National Trust members are not charged. No overnight parking or camping. Check current arrangements before visiting.
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Toilets
Toilets, including an accessible toilet, are available at Botallack Count House; check opening information before visiting.
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Food & drink
Count House Café serves hot and cold drinks, cakes and snacks. Check its website for current opening hours.
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Dogs
Dogs are allowed; keep them on a lead and on footpaths because of steep drops and mineshafts. Livestock may be present.
Accessibility
Routes are steep and surfaces uneven. The site has mineshafts and unguarded drops. The Count House has an accessible toilet; two all-terrain mobility vehicles are available to hire and should be booked in advance. Check the National Trust accessibility guide before visiting.
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Cost
Parking payment details are provided by the National Trust; check current charges before visiting.
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Water
Sea
Gallery
Place photographs
Keep exploring
Around Crown Mines
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
