“The Cornish Alps”: How Kaolin Mining Changed England’s Landscape

• In 2025, new routes were opened to the public on private land; the entire trail network is 62 km long.
• China clay has been mined in Cornwall for more than 250 years, and by 1910 the region was producing around half of the world’s supply.
• The water in the flooded pits looks turquoise, but swimming there is dangerous and strictly forbidden.

A landscape shaped by industry

The name “Cornish Alps” describes not a natural mountain range, but an unusual landscape in southwest England shaped by china clay mining. Pale artificial hills, pits with milky turquoise water, and areas gradually being reclaimed by vegetation sit side by side here. This scene is strikingly different from the familiar tourist images of Cornwall, with its sandy beaches and surfers. Its industrial history has become part of a landscape that can now be explored on foot.

The scale of change is linked to more than 250 years of mining across an area of approximately 91 square kilometres. Large pits and artificial spoil heaps replaced small farms, open moorland, and heather-covered hills. Some workings are now closing, vegetation is reclaiming former industrial sites, and wildlife is returning to the area. This does not mean that all traces of production have disappeared: the pits, bodies of water, and hills still define the character of the region.

The history of kaolin in this area began with the search for raw materials for porcelain. In 1746, Plymouth chemist William Cookworthy discovered deposits of clay near Helston, also known as china clay. Tin miners were already using the local heat-resistant rock to repair furnaces, but Cookworthy recognized its potential for porcelain production. He later found larger, purer deposits near St Austell, and in 1768 patented a formula for hard-paste porcelain.

From “white gold” to a museum legacy

In the 19th century, demand for kaolin grew, and mining around St Austell expanded rapidly. The clay was nicknamed “white gold”: it was used not only for porcelain but also for products such as toothpaste and cosmetics. By 1910, Cornwall supplied around 50% of the world’s kaolin—about one million tonnes a year—with roughly three-quarters of production exported. For local families, the industry provided work for generations, while also radically transforming the familiar landscape.

Industry was close to residents’ everyday lives. Steve Hawken recalls hearing sirens and explosions in the classroom during lessons, caused by quarry operations near homes and schools. He started working in the industry himself at the age of 15 and spent 37 years in it. One of his first duties was helping at Littlejohns Quarry—a role known as a “tea boy.” His personal experience helps reveal the working history behind the unusual landscape of the region.

Today, Hawken is a volunteer guide at the Wheal Martyn Museum, dedicated to kaolin mining and described as the only museum of its kind in the UK. It is located on the site of two former Victorian-era clay works near St Austell. The exhibits tell the story of the industry’s development and its impact on the people of Cornwall. The museum also has a tourist information point for visitors heading to the Luxulyan Valley and the Charlestown area, both part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

New trails open up formerly closed-off areas

One of the most visible traces of mining is the flooded quarries, including Lansalson. According to Hoken, the quarry had to be expanded to mine deeper; otherwise, the work became too dangerous. The water in these excavations looks milky turquoise and resembles lakes in the Canadian Rockies, but that resemblance does not make it a place to swim. Swimming here is dangerous and strictly prohibited. Lansalson is listed as about 46 meters deep; according to the tour guide, the body of water is roughly the size of a football field across.

Hoken explains the water’s distinctive color by saying that there is probably still about 44 meters of kaolin beneath its surface. This is his estimate, not a guarantee that the full underwater depth has been measured precisely. The practical rule matters more to visitors: a flooded quarry should not be treated like an ordinary recreational lake. These sites show the scale of past mining while also requiring caution. Their striking appearance draws attention, but visual appeal does not make them any less dangerous or lift the ban on swimming.

Despite its industrial history, the Clay Country area remains little known to many tourists. In 2025, French company Imerys, which owns the land, opened previously inaccessible areas to visitors. To do so, it created 34 kilometers of walking trails, some of which are also open to cyclists and horseback riders. Including the existing sections, the network now spans 62 kilometers in total. This creates more opportunities to explore the former industrial sites, but does not change their status as private property.

What to know before your walk

The routes pass through private land but are open to the public. They are spread around old mining sites, and some connect to the wider Clay Trails network. This network leads, among other places, to Par Beach and Luxulyan Valley, and links up with the UK National Cycle Network. So a walk here can be part of a longer journey, not just a short loop around the quarry. However, public access applies to the marked routes and does not mean you can freely visit any area.

The five-mile route described here, or about eight kilometres, starts at Wheal Martyn Museum. It first follows a former railway line that carried kaolin to Par Harbour, then continues along sandy paths with signposts. Further on, you’ll come across the Carn Grey outcrop and the flooded quarries of Pentriff and Baal. The walk’s description mentions thickets, autumn foliage and birds by the water. This route offers a chance to see industrial sites surrounded by vegetation gradually reclaiming the landscape.

It’s worth preparing for the walk: there are no places to buy food along the route described, so the author recommends bringing a snack. Another striking feature of the landscape is the Great Treverbyn Tip, known as “Sky Tip,” which appeared in the 1930s. For every tonne of clay mined, up to nine tonnes of waste were left behind; this created at least a hundred pale, pyramid-shaped hills, of which only a few remain. The source does not specify any further plans for the site, so it’s not yet possible to assess future changes.

Source: UNIAN