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Things to see at East Pool Mine
Explore the above-ground workings of East Pool Mine. With its complex of buildings and machinery, including one of the largest Cornish pumping engines and iconic whim or winding engine. There is plenty to discover.
East Pool Mine
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.
Be guided 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.
Michell's Engine House
Visit Michell's Engine House the last whim engine built in Cornwall. Climb the stairs to experience the view out of the bobloft doors across the landscape once dominated by mining.
Michell's Engine House is located on Agar Rd 0.3 miles away from the main East Pool site, more details will be given on arrival to East Pool mine.
A Cornish Mining World Heritage site
Showing every half an hour, a short film that brings to life the story of Cornish mining, its innovations and importance across Cornwall and the world.
Outdoor Tour
Join a guide to unlock the secrets of the building and machinery remains surrounding Taylor's engine house. How it felt for miners to start and finish their shifts at East Pool and how the metal was won from the rock.
Tunnel and chimney
Step into the gently winding brick-built flue tunnel. The flue is linked to the large chimney or stack Walk through the flue to stand at the base of the EPAL chimney and gaze up at the sky.
Taylor's Engine House and Beam Engine
Currently closed due to repair works to the roof.
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.
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History of East Pool Mine
In the middle of an urban Cornish community, East Pool Mine’s engine houses and surrounding buildings hold the stories of fortunes made for a select few through the labour of many, stories of preservation and survival, of industrial innovation and of the international impact of Cornish mining.
Visiting Levant Mine and Beam Engine
Discover old mine buildings and a working steam-powered beam engine. See the wider natural landscape and wildlife that lives here.
