Visit West Cornwall

Portreath, Camborne & Redruth are at the heart of the tin powerhouse of Cornwall's industrial past. Oak wooded, heather topped valleys with crystal streams once throbbed with the racket of tin streaming - winning precious metals. Engine houses and stacks bear stark, romantic testament to a heritage borne of the bravery and determination of generations of miners and Bal maidens.

The seaside village of Portreath is popular with all ages. With its beautiful beach, perfect for swimming and surfing, and its 18th Century harbour once used to export Cornish Copper.

A short distance inland from Portreath are the Victorian towns of Camborne and Redruth, both produced world-class inventors and engineers.

Camborne's Richard Trevithick created the world's first steam-powered road engine in 1801. His achievements are celebrated at Camborne's annual Trevithick Day celebrations in April.

Redruth was an astonishing crucible of industry, the Scottish engineer William Murdoch lived here in the late 18th century and developed domestic gas lighting. Today, Camborne and Redruth are busy shopping and commercial centres that share a legacy of handsome 19th-century buildings and a remarkable industrial archaeology.