Days Out - Luxulyan Woods

To keep up our New Year resolution Katherine and I ventured out last Sunday to Luxulyan Woods, the woods are owned by Cornwall Wildlife Trust and are also part of a designated World Heritage Site as they contain a major concentration of early 19th century industrial remains from Copper mining.

The Treffry viaduct and aqueduct is a unique double function structure.  The first all-stone viaduct built in Cornwall is constructed entirely of granite from local quarries with the foundation stone being laid in 1839 and all the blocks being hoisted into position by blocks and pulleys.

  
At the same time it served as an aqueduct to carry water through a comprehensive leat system to work the other machinery in the valley.  It is along these leats that many of the footpaths follow.

 

At its peak the mine was served by 17 waterwheels which were powered by the leats and which in turn powered machinery for use in the mine.

Remnants of the tramway which carried the quarried stone across the valley, here the blocks on which the sleepers sat can be clearly seen.

At times the paths make their way out of the woods into open countryside with some lovely views of the valley.

Judith
Poltarrow Farm
Self catering cottages and Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast