Gwennap: Churches, Mining and Trails

The Church of St Wenappa, the mining traces at Wheal Maid and Poldice, and trails through the parish offer different starting points for a trip to Gwennap. If you are looking for a hotel in Gwennap, these themes can help you decide whether to focus on architectural history, industrial heritage or routes.

Mining heritage in Gwennap

Wheal Maid is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and features significant mining remains from the 19th century. The site is now popular with walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. The traces of mining there therefore meet several of the stated ways of using the area.

Poldice and the Poldice Valley also tell the story of mining: Poldice was the richest mine in Gwennap, and the valley is dotted with the remains of mining buildings. The Poldice chimney still stands. Wheal Maid and Poldice thus offer different points of reference for mining heritage: at Wheal Maid, the focus is on significant remains from the 19th century, while Poldice stands out as a mine and for its surviving structural remains.

Trails and routes through the parish

The Coast to Coast Trail is 11 miles (17.5 km) long, mostly level and largely away from paved roads. In the parish of Gwennap, it crosses the Poldice Valley from the parish boundary near Zimapan to Twelveheads. The trail is also connected to the Wheal Busy Loop and the Redruth and Chacewater Railway Trail. Check current route notices for these connections before setting out.

A cycling route in the parish follows the Redruth and Chasewater Railway, from near Twelveheads to the Crofthandy junction. The number and classification of trails are also useful for understanding the local network: the parish of Gwennap has 61 routes classified as footpaths, bridleways and byways. The Mineral Tramways routes in Gwennap are part of a walking and cycling project, with routes designed for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

The routes can be considered by looking at different features: the Coast to Coast Trail has a stated length and general course; the cycling route follows the Redruth and Chasewater Railway, with the stretch between Twelveheads and Crofthandy as a reference point. So when comparing trails, you can consider the route and permitted uses described for each, without treating them as a single connection.

The Church of St Wenappa and its history

The Church of Saint Wenappa is a Grade I listed parish church in Gwennap Churchtown. The church building of Gwennap St Weneppa lies within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. St Weneppa was founded on a Celtic monastery believed to date from the late 5th century.

The parish church dates from the 15th century and was built in three phases. Older masonry from around the 13th to 14th centuries was incorporated into the building. It includes a freestanding bell tower with six bells, installed in the late 18th century. The church also has various stone monuments: beside the north porch is an ancient Celtic cross; a wayside cross in Gwennap churchyard is a Scheduled Monument.

Individual memorials also give the church a tangible historical dimension. The oldest funerary monument at St Wenappa is a carved slate plaque from 1691 commemorating John Pearrowe. St Wenappa is also home to a maternity roost of long-eared bats. This is an aspect of the building that points beyond its architectural and ecclesiastical history, without itself being a visitor activity.

Holy Communion at St Wenappa takes place at 11 a.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month. As the service schedule may change, check the current time if this pattern is relevant to your plans.

Discover more destinations: Gweek, Luckett, Millbrook, Colan, Germoe, Edmonton, Stratton, Newquay.

For the wider travel guide: Cornwall.