This part of Cornwall used to be the biggest clay deposit in the world..giving rise to a hugely important industry, far more significant for Cornwall than the better known tin and copper mining industries. Over the last 250 years, 170 million tons of china clay has been produced from deposits across the county. Many of the surrounding towns, including St. Austell flourished due to this industry and making them rich in heritage. 

A brief history..

After several years of searching for a material similar to the highly desirable China clay, William Cookworthy finally found it in 1745... in Cornwall! The material was known locally as Moorstone or Growan Clay and Cookworthy found a way to separate it and turn it into porcelain, patenting his invention in 1768. 

He began selling it and by the early nineteenth century the industry was big business. The St. Austell deposits had emerged as the largest in the world! The clay wasn't just used for porcelain, many other uses had been found for it, such as in paper, paint and rubber goods. 

By the mid 19th century 65,000 tonnes of china clay were being mined in the St Austell area every year by seven thousand workers. The 'Cornish Alps' began to dominate the landscape as every ton of usable china clay that was mined brought with it five tonnes of soil. Railways and tramways were built to transport the material to the coast. By 1910, Cornwall was producing fifty per cent of the world's china clay, something in the region of one million tonnes every year, seventy-five percent of which was exported. 

Today, the clay industry has mostly moved abroad leaving behind a legacy of old quarries - beautifully reclaimed by nature, a practically untouched Charlestown harbour, as well as a wealth of historical buildings and trails.