Bartles Foundry – Phase 1
As Europe’s last working tin mine, South Crofty has long symbolised the legacy and loss of Cornwall’s mining industry. After more than 400 years of operation, the site closed in the late ‘90s amid falling prices and dwindling investment.
Now, with demand for tin rising globally—driven by its use in electronics, electric vehicles, and clean energy infrastructure—South Crofty is poised for revival, supporting over 300 direct jobs and a further 1,000 indirect jobs in the process.
A landmark gateway
We’re working closely with Cornish Metals to deliver two new buildings that will help re-establish South Crofty as a contemporary, working mine.
Positioned at the entrance to the Cooks Kitchen shaft and headframe—a significant landmark for the local community—the new buildings will form a welcoming gateway to the site. The facilities will house engineering and storage functions alongside welfare spaces for miners and above-ground teams.
Reflecting Cornwall’s Bronze Age influence
Between 1700 and its closure in 1998, South Crofty produced over 450,000 tonnes of tin, making it one of the most prolific sites in the region. But the region’s mining history runs much deeper still. Archaeological research suggests that tin from Cornwall and Devon played a critical role in the eastern Mediterranean’s Bronze Age leap over 3,000 years ago—and so Cornwall’s early mining communities may have helped enable a cultural and technological transformation that reshaped the ancient world.
Drawing on this extraordinary heritage, our design uses Corten steel cladding to echo the material of former structures on site, while a distinctive saw-tooth roof brings practical daylighting and a visual rhythm that recalls South Crofty’s industrial past. Historic mining artefacts will be woven into the landscape to create meaningful connections between past and present.
Meeting modern sustainability standards
Beyond these historical references, the buildings are targeting Net Zero Carbon in operation. Warm water pumped directly from the mine will provide heating and hot water to the building, while new trees, traditional Cornish hedgerows, and green roof canopies aim to enhance local biodiversity.
With the first phase of construction underway, the revival of South Crofty marks a bold new chapter in Cornwall’s ongoing regeneration story.
Site visit
In July 2025, the design team had the opportunity to explore the existing site. They were shown the onsite facilities, including the changing rooms and shower blocks, which haven’t been used in over 30 years. The team also climbed the towering head frame and descended into the Cooks Kitchen shaft, giving them a sense of what it might have been like to work at the historic mine.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council is responsible for managing projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports delivery of the UK Government’s five national missions: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK. Read more.
