Tolgus Tin Mill

About the museum

Tolgus Tin Mill is a tin streaming mill on New Portreath Road near Redruth, and it is described as the last working tin streaming mill in Cornwall. Tin has been mined in Cornwall since the Bronze Age, more than 3,500 years ago, and in the 19th century Cornwall is said to have produced over two million tons of it.

The mill uses large stamps to crush rock into sands and finer slimes, which frees the tin bound in the rock. A series of Cornish machines, including a shaking table, then separates the black tin ore from the crushed rock. Once enough ore has been collected, it is smelted at about 1400 degrees Celsius with coal to produce pure tin. Today the tin is used in the Tolgus jewellery collection, and the sales help to pay for the restoration of the mill.

A free interactive exhibition of about 10,000 square feet explains the history of Cornish tin milling with archive footage, artefacts, machinery and personal stories. The mill is looked after at the Cornwall Gold visitor site, and a group of volunteers, the Friends of Tolgus, helps to restore it. A new route through the mill's rooms follows the stages of smashing, separating and purifying the ore.

Highlights

• Cornwall's last working tin streaming mill
• Free interactive exhibition on tin milling
• Stamps, shaking table and on-site tin smelting
• Free panning for gold in the Tolgus stream
• Free entry and free parking

Permanent exhibitions

• The Tolgus Exhibition – A free interactive exhibition of about 10,000 square feet on the history of Cornish tin milling, with film, displays and machinery.
• Tolgus Tin Streaming Mill – The working mill with stamps, a shaking table and a smelting room that shows how tin ore is crushed, separated and smelted.

Founded

1980

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry to the mill and the exhibition is free and no booking is needed; donations and jewellery sales help to fund the restoration. Optional extra activities on the site are charged, for example panning for gold at £2, Pick a Diamond at £5 and pottery painting from £6.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance is reached by a ramp and paved surfaces, and the spacious showroom has large turning circles that suit buggies, wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The accessible toilet has grab rails and doors wide enough for manual and powered wheelchairs. Seating is available in the café, where tables and chairs are movable. All dogs are welcome in the venue and on the terrace.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Family activities include panning for gold, pottery painting, building a teddy bear and a dressing-up area where children can dress as tin mill workers. A baby changing facility is in the accessible toilet and in the main ladies' toilets, and highchairs are available in the café.

Getting there & parking

The site is in Cornwall's mining district close to Redruth and St Ives, on New Portreath Road, and the museum recommends coming by car.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The Cornish Pantry café serves homemade food (hot food until 3 pm) and has a terrace; the site also has a jewellery showroom. Visitors can use Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The Tinners' Room is an events space on the Cornwall Gold site; details are given on the venue's news page.

Plan your visit