Location

Cornwall Map

View Location Map, Satellite Imagery, Geocoding, Google Earth pushpin, etc.

OS Ref: SX003554

Last Visited: 1997

Wheal Martyn,China Clay,Museums,Museum,Water,Wheels

Big Wheel

The Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum (rebranded as the China Clay Country Park after a £1m revamp in 2005) was, and may still be, a perfect little museum when we visited in 1997.

Based in the old Wheal Martyn and Gomm clay works, I particularly liked the way enough of the site has been restored to show how it used to work, but enough had been left overgrown to give a sense of discovering an abandoned site.

There is an Historic Trail past the largest working water wheel in Cornwall (10.7m or 35ft) and other artifacts, to a viewing platform at the top of the site where you can look down into the, still working, Wheal Martyn clay pit and see the water cannon (known as monitors) used to wash the china clay out of the ground.

There is also a Nature Trail, an Audio-visual presentation and all the usual visitor facilities. Excellent.

Check the Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum's website for opening times etc.

Bookmark with:

View Slide Show