Historical Events

Over the last 100 years all of the smoking stacks have gradually ceased operation and now stand as iconic monuments throughout the South West.

However on Monday 30 June, thanks to a major celebratory project, for a brief moment in time over 20 of these engine houses and chimneys were brought back to life and thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the stacks over central Cornwall.

A small army of volunteers lit fires as part of the "smoking chimneys" event in the stacks on the Great Flat Lode in the Camborne and Redruth area.

See photos from the event:

It has been funded by the Big lottery awards for all and the World Heritage Site's Mine and Yours campaign.

It was hoped that the historical moment would encourage people to look at Cornwall’s mining landscape in a whole new light leave an enduring impression on those that witnessed it.

Ross Williams, 54 and his son Hugh, 14 from Stithians were two of the volunteers taking part in the Smokin’ Chimneys event. Ross said he has always been fascinated by the sheer scale of the human achievement of Cornish mining.

Ross worked down Wheal Jane for a summer when he was a student and to know that every piece of waste rock that littered the hills around had been dug out by hand and brought up to the surface or that the miners had literally re-shaped the landscape that we saw gradually disappearing under gorse was incredibly moving. 

For more information about the events taking place and information on The 'Mine and Yours' guide, go to: