At the heart of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site are four Cornish beam engines that recall one of the earliest applications of steam power to industry. Two of the beam engines, preserved in towering engine houses, were originally powered by high-pressure steam boilers introduced by the inventor and mining engineer, Richard Trevithick. Along with these engines, including a restored winding engine that can still be seen in action, these machines and the tall stone buildings that housed them are a reminder of Cornwall's days as a world-famous centre of industry, engineering and innovation.
A collection of engines designed to use high pressure steam in the mining industry (including the largest beam engine commissioned from Harvey's in 1891 and put to work in 1925); a rotative engine made by Holman's; the oldest surviving beam engine designed by Francis Michell and built by Harvey's in 1840.
