Wheal Martyn Trail Map
Wheal Martyn
Wheal Martyn
(Stop 1 of 15)
Welcome to Wheal Martyn – the UK's only china clay mining museum! The museum was established in 1975 by the producers of china clay in Cornwall to preserve and record the history of the mid Cornwall area which has been so dramatically shaped by china clay mining.
Come inside the museum to explore the history of the industry, from its first days in 1746, right the way through to the modern industry that exports 1.5 million tonnes of clay a year from the hills around Wheal Martyn and St Austell.
The museum is housed in two old clay works, Wheal Martyn and Gomm. These magnificent granite buildings are now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, protected from development and preserved in their current state as a reminder of our heritage.
As you explore the site you will find fascinating museum artefacts and exhibits which explain china clay mining mechanisms, the social history of the local communities and the changed environment of the area. There are indoor and outdoor areas to the museum, fit for all weathers! You can stroll the beautiful woodland walks, enjoy browsing the vintage vehicles, look into a modern working pit, or relax in the café – feel free to explore at your own pace.
The white figures at the entrance are the image of clay workers from the early 1900's. What were the women clay workers called? What did the men do for work? How did the onset of WW1 affect the women of the area? Come in to find out more&hel
William Cookworthy
William Cookworthy
(Stop 2 of 15)
The Chinese used kaolin or china clay for centuries to make Porcelain, but the recipe remained a secret to Europeans until the beginning of the 18th Century. A Quaker Apothecary from Plymouth, William Cookworthy, first found china clay in 1746 at Tregonning Hill near Helston, and then later he found better deposits at St Stephen, just a few miles from Wheal Martyn.
Cookworthy patented his formula for hard-paste Porcelain in 1768. Following his retirement in 1774, the Staffordshire Potteries, led by Josiah Wedgewood, successfully campaigned to release control of the clay from the patent, enabling them to work their own pits and agents.
Many of the adventurers were to found the first china clay companies, selling china clay for a growing number of uses. By 1858 there were 42 companies producing 650,000 tons of clay a year. The modern industry currently produces 1,500,000 tonnes.
What else can you find today that is made using china clay?
Monitor Hose
Monitor Hose
(Stop 3 of 15)
China clay has always been extracted by using water to wash the soft kaolinised granite, creating a clay slurry. The waste quartz and mica are then removed from the slurry and the clay is dried out.
In the earliest days of the industry the simple method was to direct streams down hillside slopes to wash the clay from the rock, with men using picks to break up the ground. By the 1920's, hoses were used and operated by a man directing the water. These hoses are still used, but are operated by remote control now and called monitors. There are several around the site.
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35ft Water Wheel
35ft Water Wheel
(Stop 4 of 15)
This is the largest working water wheel in Cornwall.
As china clay pits grew bigger and deeper with extraction, the clay slurry needed to be pumped to the surface for refining and export. Waterwheels were used to operate the pumps (plunger pumps) which were in the bottom of the pit. The 35ft pitch back waterwheel seen on display here was originally used to pump clay slurry from Wheal Martyn pit. It was made at Charlestown Foundry in the early 1880s and carried here in pieces by horse and cart.
As with many clay pits Wheal Martyn was some distance away from the water supply needed to turn the waterwheel. This problem was solved by a system of iron rods called 'flat rods', which are painted red here alongside the waterwheel. The rods passed through the pan kiln building on your left, over the settling tanks and through a tunnel before reaching the pit, over half a mile away, to connect with a 'plunger pump', an example of which is the red structure visible over the roof, at the front of the main building. Many of the wheels were later replaced by steam engines similar to those used in tin and copper mining.
Keep an eye out for the foundry brand on the spoke!
Slurry Pump and 18ft Water wheel
Slurry Pump and 18ft Water wheel
(Stop 5 of 15)
Once the clay slurry reached the works, thanks to the pump driven by the larger 35ft water wheel and flat-rod system, it then needed to be pumped around the site for refining. The slurry pump was powered by the 18ft overshot water wheel, built here in 1902. The flat rod from the wheel connects to the cable that transmits power to the pump to lift the slurry.
Take a moment to listen to the wheel and pump working. For such an industrial setting the noise levels of machinery would have been minimal.
Crib Hut
Crib Hut
(Stop 6 of 15)
Clay workers would have a shelter or hut where they could eat their 'crib' at meal breaks. The Cornish word for a meal is 'crib', but if you travel further west in the county you will encounter variations in the dialect, including 'croust' and 'mossel'.
Cornish pasties have Protected Geographical Indication status under European law. A proper 'Cornish pasty' must be prepared in Cornwall, crimped on one side and filled with a mix of beef mince or chunks, potato, swede and onion, with light seasoning. Those pasties that you encounter that are filled with cheese and onion, lamb, chicken or chickpeas are certainly not Cornish!
How far afield have you been and found a Cornish pasty for sale? The Cornish certainly get around….
Sand & Mica Drags and Settling Pits
Sand & Mica Drags and Settling Pits
(Stop 7 of 15)
The clay slurry was sent through a series of drags and tanks as seen here. At each stage the slurry would stand and over time the particles in suspension in the slurry would sink and settle to the bottom, leaving just the fine clay particles in suspension in the water.
The shallow channels slowed the flow of the slurry and allowed the quartz sand and mica to settle out. The drags would have been cleared out of waste every 8 hours. The quartz sand was piled onto tips with carts and along incline trams, whilst the mica would have been washed into the St Austell River, aptly named locally as 'White River'.
If you follow the river it passes through St Austell and on to the local port of Pentewan. An off-road cycle and walking trail follows the route – well worth exploring once you leave Wheal Martyn.
Pan Kiln
Pan Kiln
(Stop 8 of 15)
Clay was sent down into the 5 stone walled settling tanks outside the building, where the water would drain off to leave the clay to thicken to the consistency of clotted cream (30-40% solids). This would take 2 to 3 months. Once the clay was ready, the boards in the hatch in the wall were removed and the clay flowed and was shovelled onto the pan kiln floor.
Under the floor of the pan kiln you can see the series of horizontal flues running from the coal fired furnaces to the chimney seen alongside the slurry pump – a distance of 66 metres. The pan floor tiles were porous to allow the heat through to dry the clay. Near the fire head the clay dried in 1 day, but near the chimney it took 3 days. Once dry the clay was scored into blacks and thrown into the linhay below.
Take a look at the clay workers shoes. Why did he have thick wooden clogs?
Transport Yard
Transport Yard
(Stop 9 of 15)
Transportation plays a crucial role in the success of the Cornish clay industry. Clay from all works initially had to reach the local ports of Charlestown, Pentewan, Par and Fowey. Horse drawn wagon was used in the earlier years, and this gave way to rail transport along local branch lines laid from 1829. The mainline train service didn't extend beyond Plymouth until 1859.
The Peerless lorry was built in 1916 in the U.S.A. and first came to Europe in the First World War. It was sold as war surplus and bought by the clay company Parkyn and Peters for use at Blackpool Pit, near St Stephen. It was discarded after 10 years or so and buried in a sand tip, but in 1958 it was rescued and restoration finally started in 1978.
The 1934 ERF lorry, model C15 is believed to be the 42nd vehicle produced by ERF. The final stage of its working life was with the Heavy Transport Company of St Austell.
Lee Moor No. 1 is one of a pair of locomotives built in 1899 to be used at Lee Moor Pit in Devon. It worked well for 48 years in the bleak surrounds of Dartmoor, and then was left derelict until restoration work in the 1970's.
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Pit View
Pit View
(Stop 10 of 15)
The viewing area overlooks two small china clay pits, Greensplat and Wheal Martyn. Just 200 years ago this area would have granite moorland with a few farms dotted around. The first pits in the area would have been tiny in comparison to what you see here now. The village of Greensplat which was once home to clay workers has also given way to the excavations. The pits are now worked by one company, Imerys Minerals ltd.
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Gomm Engine House
Gomm Engine House
(Stop 11 of 15)
Hidden in the dense woodland is the Gomm Engine House which used to house a steam powered Cornish beam engine which provided power for pumping clay slurry and hauling waste out of Gomm Pit. The engine was installed in 1878 and used for 20 to 30 years.
This type of engine house was also used in metal ore mining seen around Cornwall. Much of the technology and infrastructure of the metal ore mines was shared and used in clay mining.
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View Point
View Point
(Stop 12 of 15)
From the view point you can see evidence of how the landscape has changed over the centuries with clay mining. Across the valley are the traditional stone-hedged small field systems and farm land from the pre-industrial period before clay expanded. Looking to the right and in the immediate foreground you can see older sky tips, once referred to as the White Pyramids, or Cornish Alps. These sand, mica and overburden waste tips are steep sided and take a long time to re-vegetate, so remained white for many years. However, following the mining disaster in Aberfan, Wales, in 1966, when 116 children and 28 adults died when a spoil tip collapsed onto the village, laws on tipping changed and the White Pyramids became a thing of the past. As your eye moves up the slope to the skyline opposite, you can see the spoil tips from clay works which have been carefully landscaped and planted to blend in to the natural environment.
Imerys Minerals Ltd have carried out extensive landscaping work on the clay tips. Over 4000 acres of heathland, woodland and associated habitats have been restored, 1 million broadleaved trees planted and over 30 miles of access trails opened to the public.
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Flat Rod Tunnel
Flat Rod Tunnel
(Stop 13 of 15)
The tunnel forms part of the flat rod system, the means by which power was transmitted from the 35ft water wheel at the start of the trail, to the pump in the bottom of Wheal Martyn pit. The tunnel has since been enlarged to allow people through it.
The area around the tunnel is dripping with lichens and mosses. The shady spot in the woodland is perfect for insects which attract a wealth of birds.
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Clay Trails
Clay Trails
(Stop 14 of 15)
Wheal Martyn is on the Clay Trails – a network of walking, cycling and horse-riding trails through mid-Cornwall. The routes offer a largely traffic-free route through stunning sections of heathland, woodland, coastline, country lanes and Cornish mining villages. Look out for mining heritage along the way as you pass stunning turquoise dams, coloured by the mica waste from clay mining, towering clay tips and historically listed buildings from the industry. The trails are also teeming with wildlife and you can find little hidden gems of artwork along the way.
Let us know what you think of the Clay Trails - share your comments.
The Ports
The Ports
(Stop 15 of 15)
China Clay was exported by ship from the ports of Charlestown, Par, Fowey and Pentewan. Clay was transported to the ports first by horse and cart, then by rail and road as transport links developed over the centuries.
The ports of Charlestown, Pentewan, Par and Fowey were all developed to deal with the expanding clay industry. Now you will only find clay being exported from Fowey Docks. A visit to Charlestown and Pentewan today will reveal sleepy, pretty harbours with clear blue waters, and bustling with visitors enjoying the coastline - a vast change from the dusty white days of large scale clay export.
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My Wheal Martyn Trail Notes
Wheal Martyn Trail
Welcome to Wheal Martyn. The trail takes you in and around the extensive Wheal Martyn site, revealing the story of china clay mining and the history of the mining industry that began here in the 1820's. Do enjoy your walk and take your time to explore off the trail route, delving into the hidden gems of this well kept secret.
The trail takes you around the site exploring some of the industrial architecture and machinery that date back to the early days of China Clay mining here at Wheal Martyn in the 1800's. You can dip in and out of the trail and follow the order in any sequence that you choose. The trail also sign-posts you to some local areas linked to the china clay industry, including the network of Clay Trails, local harbours and the Eden Project. As most of the trail is outside you will need to have your comfy shoes on and be prepared for a couple of steps.
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