Our Tours
West Penwith has one of the greatest concentrations of mining heritage in the world. We'll take you there.
Half-day | St Ives to Botallack
The Tin Coast Classic
The definitive West Penwith mining experience. We travel the dramatic Atlantic coast from St Ives to the cliff-hanging engine houses at Botallack — one of the most photographed industrial heritage sites in Britain.
Along the way, your guide brings the landscape to life: the men who worked the lodes running out under the sea, the communities built around the wheals, the engineering feats that made Cornish mining famous across the world.
Highlights
- Levant Mine & Beam Engine (National Trust)
- Botallack Count House and cliff-edge engine houses
- Geevor Tin Mine (optional entry — the most intact Cornish tin mine in existence)
- Coastal views across the Atlantic from Kenidjack to Cape Cornwall
Includes
Expert guided commentary, transport from St Ives, Bal and Beyond audio trail on your phone.
Geevor entry fee (£14.90 adult) and lunch not included. Difficulty: Easy — mostly flat paths and viewpoints.
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2-hour walking tour | St Ives to Carbis Bay & Steeple Woods
The Carbis Bay Mining Tour
Most visitors to Carbis Bay see only the beach. But this stretch of coast hides one of the most remarkable — and still radioactive — industrial stories in West Penwith. This walk takes you from St Ives to Carbis Bay and up through the valley into Steeple Woods, uncovering the mining that shaped everything you see.
We'll look at the still-radioactive tailings along the coast, the beach adits, and head up the Carbis Bay Valley to see how mining transformed the landscape. Then we climb to the Steeple, pointing out where the Providence Mine shafts now lie — many of them directly under houses. Through Steeple Woods we explore the older workings: Trelyon Consols, Wheal King, and more. Then back down to St Ives.
Highlights
- Radioactive mine tailings still visible along the coast
- Beach adits and the hidden industrial shoreline
- Providence Mine — shafts 150 fathoms deep, now under houses
- Steeple Woods — Trelyon Consols, Wheal King, and ancient workings
Includes
Expert guided walk, Bal and Beyond audio trail.
The section from the beach up to the Steeple is steep, but we take it slow. Difficulty: Moderate — steep climb, woodland paths, some uneven ground.
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Half-day | Exploring the human story of Cornish mining
The Women of the Bal — A Bal Maiden's Walk
The bal maidens — the women who worked the surface of Cornwall's mines, dressing tin ore in all weathers — are one of the most overlooked stories in Cornish history.
This tour puts them at the centre. We visit sites where they worked, hear their stories, and understand what life was like for the communities built around the mines. Named in the spirit of Balmaidens, this is heritage with a human face.
Highlights
- Pendeen and the Boscaswell area — dense mining community history
- Surviving count houses and dressing floors
- Stories of real bal maidens drawn from historical records
- The Cornish diaspora — why so many Cornish families ended up in America, South Africa, and Australia
Includes
Expert guided commentary, transport, Bal and Beyond audio trail.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
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3-hour walking tour | St Ives & Rosewall Hill
The St Ives & Rosewall Mining Tour
St Ives is known for art and beaches, but it was built on mining. This walk takes you around the harbour and the Island to Porthmeor, picking out the traces of the mining industry still visible in the town. From there we head out along the coast and up to Rosewall Hill.
On the hill we explore the remaining workings of Rosewall Mine and the St Ives Consols mines. We'll talk about the pitchblende from Trenwith Mine — the radioactive uranium ore that was mined directly under what is now the leisure centre and local primary school. Then back down the hill into St Ives.
Highlights
- St Ives harbour, the Island, and Porthmeor — mining traces hidden in plain sight
- Rosewall Hill — surviving mine workings with panoramic views
- St Ives Consols and Rosewall Mine remains
- Trenwith Mine — pitchblende, uranium, and the radioactive legacy under the town
Includes
Expert guided walk, Bal and Beyond audio trail.
Difficulty: Moderate — coastal paths and hill climb with some uneven ground.
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2.5 hours | Dawn tour, Botallack
Sunrise Over the Engine Houses
PremiumThe cliff-edge engine houses at Botallack at sunrise are among the most dramatic sights in Cornwall. This small-group premium experience gets you there before the crowds, as the Atlantic light hits the granite and the mist clears from the moor.
A short guided walk, unhurried conversation, and the most photographed industrial heritage site in Britain, almost entirely to yourselves.
Includes
Pre-dawn transport, expert guide, hot drinks provided, Bal and Beyond audio trail.
Perfect for photographers, special occasions, small private groups. Difficulty: Easy.
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Coming Soon
New tours launching soon — beyond the mines, into the streets, the stories, and the food.
Architectural Heritage Walk
A guided walk through the parish exploring the buildings, chapels, and hidden architectural details that tell the story of St Ives and its surroundings.
Coming Soon
St Ives Foodie Tour
A walking tour with a difference — taste your way through St Ives with stops at local venues, discovering the food and drink that makes this corner of Cornwall special.
Coming Soon
Women's Heritage Walks
Women-only guided walks led by a dedicated female guide — exploring the stories of the women who shaped Cornwall, from bal maidens to the present day.
Coming SoonInterested? Register your interest and we'll let you know when these tours launch.
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Can't find what you're looking for? We also offer private group tours and bespoke itineraries. Get in touch.
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