Things to see at East Pool Mine

View of East Pool Mine, Taylor's engine house and chimney stack — View of East Pool Mine Taylor's engine house and chimney stack | © National Trust / Felicity Tinsley

Explore the above-ground workings of East Pool Mine on a guided tour. With its complex of buildings and machinery, including one of the largest Cornish pumping engines, there are plenty of things to discover.

Guided tours at East Pool Mine

Book a guided tour to discover the complex of buildings that remain testament to Cornwall’s mining past, in one of the few Cornish mines that worked into the 20th century.

Walk through the brick flue tunnel with its curved edges as it bends and turns; look out for the abandoned mining machinery from old boilers and skip carts; see an example of the cages that would have been full of miners descending into the shafts; and learn the mine’s fascinating history.

Mining on film

As part of the guided tour, you'll see a short film that brings to life the story of mining and its importance in Cornwall. Through modern and archival footage, discover more about the World Heritage Site and find out what was mined and more about the people who worked here.

A school child looking at a display at East Pool Mine | © National Trust Images / James Beck

The boiler room

The information panels here paint a view of what life was like in the mine over 100 years ago. Cast your eyes over the models and cross-section diagrams to see what it was truly like in a mine.

Tunnel and chimney

Leave the boiler room through the gently winding brick-built flue tunnel. The flue is linked to the large chimney or stack and you can get right inside it to see where waste gases were pumped out. Standing in this spot at the base of the chimney you can look up to the sky above.

View of the large beam of the pumping engine in Taylor's Engine House, East Pool Mine, Cornwall — The beam of the large pumping engine in Taylor's Engine House, East Pool Mine. | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Taylor's Engine House and Beam Engine

Taylor’s Engine House was once the very heart of East Pool Mine. Completed in 1924, it houses the pumping engine, which is the third-largest ever made and ran 24 hours a day.

Taylor's engine was built in 1892 in the local foundry at Harvey & Co of Hayle and is one of the largest Cornish engines left in existence. The engine was built to pump water from the deep Carn Brea Mines. In 1924 it was moved to its present site.

The 52-tonne beam

Look out for the cast iron beam at the top is called a ‘bob’. The bob is a staggering 10 metres in length and weighs over 52 tonnes. Look out for the working model of the mechanism in the visitor reception.

Saving the mine

When East Pool Mine closed in 1945 the engine was likely to be scrapped for metal. It was purchased for preservation by an American engineer-historian, who gave it to the Cornish Engines Preservation Society. They, in turn, gave it to the National Trust in 1967.

Book your visit

Please note you need to book tickets to East Pool Mine. You can book for today up to an hour before the start of a tour. Every Thursday time slots will be available for the next 14 days.

Check availability and book