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( Last Updated: 08-08-2007 )
Construction company Midas has started extensive restoration work on the museum at Geevor Tin Mine, the largest preserved tin mining site in Europe.
The contract, worth almost £3 million, will involve a programme of restoration for one of the largest protected industrial heritage sites in the UK, where mining activity stopped in 1991. Work will include the restoration and conservation of historical buildings and the creation of a new museum.
Midas project manager Tony Barrett said: “We are refurbishing 23 buildings that make up part of the museum. The challenge for us is to revamp the buildings whilst keeping everything as traditional as possible by using the same materials and building techniques to replace what is removed. We have had to take time and care to plan the work, as many of the buildings are around 200 years old, and we will also carry out our work with as little disruption to Geevor as possible so that the attraction can remain open to visitors.”
The museum tells the story of mining in Cornwall and provides an insight into the lives of the people who lived and worked in the area. Visitors can also see some of the unusual minerals that were found underground and learn about the processes used to obtain tin from the mined ore.
David Szlitkus from Porkellis, near Wendron, who worked as a miner at Geevor, is now a site manager for Midas. He said: “I worked down the mines at Geevor for over 12 years before operations stopped, and my father worked there before me. It’s great that money is being well spent to keep the site to a certain standard so that future generations can learn about an important part of Cornish history.”
Bill Lakin, chair of trustees for Pendeen Community Heritage (PCH), the organisation responsible for managing Geevor Tin Mine, said: “The new museum will be larger than the existing one and is designed in a way that will allow us to properly display the significant collection of mining artefacts that we have. The new museum will help to drive up visitor numbers which will in turn help us to provide more permanent employment opportunities for people in the area.
“Although preserving the site is hugely important we are also pleased to be contributing to the economic development of an area that has great potential.”
Midas Divisional Director Graham Mathews concluded: “Geevor has already been recognised as an integral element of the World Heritage Site for the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. This project will play a vital role in helping Geevor reach its full potential and to promote the site’s unique heritage.”