Useful Links

Below are listed external websites offering content of interest and relevance to our World Heritage Site Bid. We are not responsible for the content of external websites. If you wish to have your website listed below please contact the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site bid team: hes@cornwall.gov.uk

The website links are found under the following groups:

 - Countryside related sites
 - Geology & Mineralogy
 - General Interest
 - Government bodies (national and local)
 - History & Archaeology
 - Heritage bodies & organisations
 - International mining
 - Leisure and Tourism sites
 - Mining heritage sites
 - Natural Environment
 - Societies and groups (not exclusively mining related)
 - Miscellaneous
 - World Heritage Sites
 

Countryside

Countryside Agency

Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (DEFRA)

National Farmers Union

Geology & Mineralogy

British Geological Survey - The British Geological Survey (BGS) is the world's longest established national geological survey and the UK's premier centre for earth science information and expertise.

Camborne School of Mines (Exeter University) - CSM (Camborne School of Mines) was founded in 1888, has an international reputation, and is one of three departments that form the School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources (SoGAER) within the University of Exeter. CSM is the only department within SoGAER to be based entirely within Cornwall.
 
Camborne School of Mines Virtual Museum - navigate through pages explaining and detailing the geology of the Cornubian Orefield.

Cornwall RIGS Group - The Cornwall RIGS (Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites) Group, founded at a public meeting in 1991, is the geological arm of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, concerned with geology and geomorphology and is a voluntary body which aims to do three things: Identify, Conserve, Raise awareness of Cornwall’s rich and diverse geological heritage.

Royal Geological Society of Cornwall - One of the oldest geological societies in the world.

Russell Society - The Russell Society is a society of amateur and professional mineralogists which encourages the study, recording and conservation of mineralogical sites and material.
 
UK RIGS contacts – inc. Devon

Cornish Geology Website - independent website containing information on the nature and emplacement of the Cornubian Batholith of SW England and the subsequent phases of mineralisation across the Cornubian Orefield.

Liroconite – Cornwall geology website that specialises in the mineral Liroconite and other Cornish minerals.

Mineralogy Database - This mineral database contains over 4000 individual mineral species descriptions with links and a comprehensive image library.

General Interest

British Mining Database - a useful website where to find information about mines throughout the UK and Ireland. The information is primarily historical but some links to working mines are included.
 
Cornish Links Directory - The directory of Cornish sites and those with Cornish content.

The Cornish Engine House - independent website.

Cornwall Culture - Cornwall Arts Marketing (CAM) is currently campaigning for Cornwall to be recognised as a Region of Culture by the European Union.  Europe has only recognised Capitals of Culture in the past, through this campaign CAM wish to challenge the perception of culture as being solely an urban phenomena.  If successful, there will be a year-long celebration of Cornish culture in 2010, giving Cornwall the chance to showcase its cultural life on a local, national and international stage. In order to create a substantial proposal, CAM are asking as many people to get involved in defining what Cornwall means to them, to make sure we gain a fairly accurate feel as to what Cornwall means to the people who live here.  Currently this effort is focused around the Cornwall Culture website which enables people, once signed up, to upload images and stories, and comment on other people’s images/stories which can lead to interesting debates.

Nation on Film - Cornwall, Last Mine Standing - BBC website with some video clips.

Mining Heritage Cornwall 365 - This site is updated with new photographs of Cornwall UK 365 days a year.

Views of Cornwall - This site provides over two thousand photos of more than one hundred and twenty different places throughout Cornwall.

Mineral Tramway Heritage Project - identifies and describes current and proposed trails and some of the major heritage sites that can be explored in the area. Also includes Tin & Fishes play script as freely available download.

Government bodies

Caradon District Council
Cornwall Enterprise
Cornwall County Council
Carrick District Council
Devon County Council
Government Office South West
Kerrier District Council
North Cornwall District Council
Objective 1 Office (Cornwall)
Objective 2 Office (South West)
Penwith District Council
Restormel Borough Council
South West Regional Development Agency
West Devon Borough Council

History and Archaeology

Access to Archives - The A2A database contains catalogues describing archives held throughout England and dating from the 900s to the present day.

Association for Industrial Archaeology - The AIA is the national organisation for people who share an interest in Britain's industrial past.

Calstock Local History Group and Calstock Parish Archive Trust - east Cornwall local history group and archive.

The Cornish Communities Programme (University of Exeter in Cornwall) - programme of Cornish studies at local, regional and transnational levels covering themes such as migration, cultural identity, community and family.

A Cornish Sourcebook: Cornovia.org  - variety of historical sources about Cornwall ranging from images, postcards, texts, maps and plans.

Cornwall County Council, Heritage and History - various links to Cornwall's heritage and history.

Cornish History’ (online journal) - online journal and educational resource devoted to the historical study of both Cornwall and the Cornish Diaspora.

Cornish in Latin America - This website examines the nineteenth and early twentieth century Cornish migration to South and Central America and the Spanish Caribbean. The significance of Cornish migration to Latin America lay not in numbers: far fewer people migrated there than to the USA, South Australia, England and Wales or South Africa, but in the fact that the mines of Latin America were among the first to attract significant Cornish labour outside the British Isles and continued to recruit Cornish labour right into the 1930s. Many of the defining features of overseas Cornish migration during what has been dubbed the 'Great Migration' (c1815-1920) have their roots in Latin America.

Cornish Mining Heritage Programme (CMHP) - Set up in 2005 at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Exeter, this programme seeks to attract academic research funding for projects related to mining history and to build links and enhance synergy with mining heritage organisations both within the UK and overseas in order to deliver quality research.

Cornwall and Scilly Urban Survey - The Cornwall & Scilly Urban Survey is providing a framework for sustainable regeneration in 19 historic towns. The project integrates two key factors - improved understanding and characterisation of the rich and diverse historic environment which makes Cornwall and Scilly’s towns so distinctive and the identification of heritage-led regeneration opportunities so vital to the region’s future.
 
Cornwall Family History Society - the Society aims to become a ‘centre of excellence’ encouraging research into Cornish family history, by co-ordinating transcription and indexing of original records by its members, by maintaining a research library in Truro for members and the general public, by offering a means of contact and information exchange between members. The Society was formed in 1976 and now has over 5000 active members, mostly outside Cornwall, with many in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and other countries.
 
Cornwall Industrial Settlements Initiative - Cornwall’s industrial settlements are the subject of a Conservation Area Partnership intended to assess the character and significance of 51of the County’s industrial settlements. These include villages, ports and towns associated with Cornwall’s 19th century industrial revolution, based on metalliferous mining, slate and granite quarrying, and china clay extraction.

Cornwall Library Service and Cornwall Library Service - Cornish Newspaper and Periodical Holdings

Cornwall Record Office - an archive service for Cornwall.  Its main purpose is to ensure that the historical records relating to the people, places and organisations of Cornwall are preserved for the future and made available for public consultation including a wide range of documents dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries. This includes thousands of maps, plans, photographs, parchment documents and volumes which contain information on local families and their estates, businesses, schools and villages, together with evidence for maritime and mining activities

Cornwall Centre - Cornwall's largest library of Cornish printed and published items contains a wide range of resources for everyone's use.

Cornish Mines & Mining History in Cornwall - independent website with mine site and mining history pages.

Devon Archaeological Society - the Society aims to promote and conserve Devon's archaeological sites and landscapes, to foster research and to develop a great understanding of archaeology amongst its membership and the wider public.

Devon Family History Societies - website for people wishing to explore Devon family histories.

Devon Record Office - The Devon Record Office exists to collect and preserve the historical records of Devon and to make them available to all who wish to study them.

Flying Past - Flyingpast.org is the culmination of a twelve year project mapping archaeological and historical sites visible on aerial photos in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The mapping team studied more than 50,000 aerial photos taken between 1926 and 2005. The project was commissioned and funded by English Heritage and the mapping was carried out by the Historic Environment Service of Cornwall County Council.

Institute of Cornish Studies (Exeter University) - The ICS exists to support and foster academic research on Cornwall and to carry out research projects on Cornwall and its past. The ICS was formed in 1970 as a unique collaborative venture between Cornwall County Council and the University of Exeter.

Mining Heritage - Free historical material related to mining and minerals,

Mining History of Cornwall & Devon (Exeter University)

Mining History Network - wide ranging and authoritative website for mining history sources and information. Maintained by Prof. Roger Burt, University of Exeter.

Royal Institution of Cornwall - The Royal Institution of Cornwall (RIC) is a learned society and a registered charity. Founded in 1818 as the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution, the name was changed to the RIC upon being granted the patronage of George IV in 1821. For more than 150 years the Institution has assumed the role of publisher for authors and academics. This is viewed as an important and practical means of supporting local researchers as it ensures that their work is printed and thereby made more widely available. Many of these works have since become classics and it is a tradition that the Institution hopes to continue.

Royal Cornwall Museum - The Royal Cornwall Museum is located in the heart of the city of Truro. It is owned and managed by the Royal Institution of Cornwall which was created to provide lectures, facilities for study and a museum. The museum displays local material from prehistoric times to the present day including  minerals from all over the world and one of the best collections of Cornish minerals in the country, including the largest known crystal of Liroconite in the world, displays of birds and animals in their natural habitats, a wide range of decorative and applied art including a large selection of ceramics, classical Greek and Roman artefacts and a permanent exhibition of paintings.

South West Museums Libraries Archives Council - SWMLAC is the regional development agency for museums, libraries and archives, covering the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, the unitary authorities of Bath & North East Somerset, Borough of Poole, Bournemouth, Bristol, North Somerset, Plymouth, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Torbay, together with the Isles of Scilly and the Channel Islands.

The National Archives - The National Archives, which covers England, Wales and the United Kingdom, was formed in April 2003 by bringing together the Public Record Office and the Historical Manuscripts Commission.

The 1901 Census for England and Wales - the official genealogy site of the Welsh & English census information for 1901.

Trounson-Bullen Photographic Collection -The Trounson-Bullen Collection is a comprehensive archive of Cornish mining history brought together by the amalgamation of two large family archives. The families of L.J. Bullen and the late J.H. Trounson were both active in the Cornish mining industry for many years.
 

Heritage bodies

Cornwall AONB - Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB's), along with National Parks are considered to be the most special landscapes in the country and belong to an international family of protected areas. There are 41 such areas in England and Wales. The Cornwall AONB was designated in 1959 under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, with the Camel estuary being added in 1981.

English Heritage - English Heritage is the UK Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an Executive Non-departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Department of Culture, Media and Sport - UK Government DCMS aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries.

The National Trust - The National Trust was founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists - Miss Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley. Concerned about the impact of uncontrolled development and industrialisation, they set up the Trust to act as a guardian for the nation in the acquisition and protection of threatened coastline, countryside and buildings.

Tamar Valley AONB - This site contains information and news from the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

International mining

Cornish Association of New South Wales

Europamines - the European Mining Heritage Network, exists to advance knowledge, awareness and appreciation of the contributions that mining and quarrying industries have made to the development of all European nations and cultures.

The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) - the world organisation for industrial heritage, promoting preservation, conservation, investigation, documentation, research and interpretation of our industrial heritage.

ICOMOS UK - ICOMOS is a non-governmental organisation whose mandate is the world's cultural heritage. Through its national committees worldwide, it provides a forum for professional dialogue.

Laxey Mines Research Group - Explore the mines of the Isle of Man, above and below ground.

Moonta Copper Mine, South Australia

The Cornish in Latin America - A website devoted to the Cornish in Latin America. Results from Dr Sharron Schwartz's research and writing about nineteenth and early twentieth century Cornish migration to South and Central America and the Spanish Caribbean.

The Cornish in West Cork - Cornish miners in South West Eire.

The Cruquius Museum - The Cruquius pumping station was used to pump the Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands and was built between 1846-1849.  The main attraction is the large Cruquius engine, the steam engine, built by Harvey's of Hayle, Cornwall, with the cylinder with the largest diameter in the world, almost 3.5 m or 144"!  After a period on stand-by Cruquius finally became redundant in 1932.
 
Wisconsin Historical Society

UNESCO WHS site - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World heritage Site list website.

3Diaspora Western Australian Cornish Miners Heritage Project -  A project to celebrate the contribution Cornish tin miners made to the development of Western Australia's embryonic metal mining industry in mid C19th.

Yorke Peninsula,  South Australia - Also known as "Little Cornwall"  the Yorke Peninsula has a rich and varied historical background.  In the north was the main copper mining area which attracted tin miners from Cornwall.

Leisure and Tourism

The Official Guide to the South West Coast Path
 
Look Around Cornwall - A website that offers a visual showcase for visitor attractions in Cornwall, making use of full-screen 360 degree immersive VR photography.

Land's End Area Accommodation Providers - listings of bed and breakfast, self-catering and caravan and camping sites in west Cornwall.

South East Cornwall Tourist Association - find out more about  south east Cornwall.

Tamar Valley Tourism Association - The Tamar Valley is an area rich in beauty and history, possessing some of the finest scenery in the West Country. The Estuary is an important haven for wildlife, such as the avocet and little egret. The valley of the river Tamar - and its tributaries, the Tavy and Lynher - is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Mining Heritage sites

Blue Hills Tin Streams - Blue Hills tin streaming works is nestled at the seaward end of the Trevellas Valley near St Agnes on the north coast of Cornwall.

Cornish Mines & Engines - Impressive beam engines and industrial heritage discovery centre. Cornwall’s engine houses are dramatic reminders of the time when the county was a powerhouse of tin, copper and china clay mining. These two great beam engines were used for pumping water (from a depth of over 550m) and for winding men and ore up and down. The engines were originally powered by high-pressure steam, introduced by the local engineer Richard Trevithick. Today one is rotated by electricity. The site also includes the Industrial Discovery Centre at East Pool, which provides an overview of Cornwall’s industrial heritage and incorporates a fascinating audio-visual presentation.

Dartmoor National Park Authority - Dartmoor was designated one of the National Parks of England and Wales in 1951. It is a beautiful moorland landscape with wooded valleys and wind swept Tors covering 368 square miles (953 sq. km.) in area.

Geevor Tin Mine - the largest preserved mining site in the UK. In the far west of Cornwall, on the Atlantic Coast here Cornwall's mining history comes to life. Until 1990 Geevor was working mine, now a musem with many surface buildings with guided underground tours through 18th / 19th century workings.

King Edward Mine & Museum - King Edward Mine and museum.

Kitty to the Cape (From St Agnes to Cape Cornwall in photographs)
 
Levant Mine - Levant is owned and managed by The National Trust and is the home to Cornwall's oldest working beam engine

Morwellham and Tamar Valley Trust - An award-winning, evocative museum and visitor centre based around the historic port and mine workings on the River Tamar.

Poldark Mine - Poldark Mine hosts a variety of attractions from the mine itself to a museum, amusements and craft workshops.

Rosevale Mine - Rosevale Mine is a privately owned former tin mine situated at Zennor, near St Ives in West Cornwall. For the past 30 years the underground workings have been restored and preserved as a typical Cornish mine.

Llywernog Silver-Lead Mine - Llywernog, in mid-Wales, is an authentic 18th century silver mine with historical Cornish connections. A visit to Llywernog offers a fascinating insight into life nearly 200 years ago, when the mine employed over 60 people. Today, Llywernog is a fascinating and educational family adventure, and continues to be developed as a major all-weather attraction.

South Crofty Mine - website maintained by Baseresult Holdings Ltd, a company of mining professionals who are dedicated to reviving tin mining at the site of South Crofty Mine. (see also http://www.phdcsm.freeserve.co.uk/croftymen.htm)

Tolgus Tin, Redruth - One of the last tin dressing mills in Cornwall, Tolgus retains an impressive collection of ore dressing machinery including water powered stamps, shaking tables and a round frame – the latter, one of only two in existence.

The Mineral Tramways Heritage Project (2005-8)  - Explore the Great Flat Lode Trail, the Coast to Coast Trail plus 29km of new trails for 2008. The Mineral Tramways Heritage Project shows and describes the routes of current and proposed trails and introduces some of the major heritage sites that can be explored in the area.

Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum - china clay museum situated near St Austell.

Natural Environment

Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Eden Project - Post-Mining Alliance - The Post Mining Alliance is an independent not-for-profit organisation with a mission to encourage and promote the regeneration of mine sites for the sustainable benefit of the local community and natural environment.
English Nature
Environment Agency
South West Protected Landscapes Forum - The site is being developed as a portal to information about the 2 National Parks and 13 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) that constitute the nationally designated landscapes of the south west region.

Societies & groups

Caradon Mines Research Group
Carn Brea Mining Society
Carn Brea Protection Group
CERES Secretariat
Cornwall Heritage Trust
Cornwall Mine Rescue Organisation
Cornish Stannary Parliament
Cornish Institute of Engineers
East Cornwall Mining History Association
Georgian Group
Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland
National Association of Mining History Organisations
Pendeen Community Heritage
Plymouth Caving Group
Plymouth Mining and Minerals Club
St Just Mines Research Group
The Cornish-Mexican Cultural Society - The Cornish-Mexican Cultural Society was established in 2006 with the objectives of fostering and promoting the historic cultural ties between Cornwall and Mexico and in particular the State of Hidalgo and the municipalities of Pachuca and Real del Monte and enabling the re-establishment of cultural links between the two great mining districts.
The Newcomen Society
The Trevithick Society
Victorian Society

Miscellaneous

Carn Metals
Duchy of Cornwall
Goonvean Ltd.
IMERYS
Kaolin and Ball Clay Association (UK)
Roland’s Cornish Steam Engine Page
The Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Tregothnan Estate
Trevarno Estate and Gardens - visit to the historic Trevarno Estate where you can explore the magnificent gardens, grounds and Woodland walks which date back to 1246. There area 70 acres of enchanting gardens and grounds featuring one of Cornwall's largest and most diverse plant collections set within magnificent formal, informal and woodland areas.

World Heritage Sites (mostly industrial)

Blaenavon Industrial Landscape - The area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. All the necessary elements can still be seen - coal and ore mines, quarries, a primitive railway system, furnaces, workers' homes, and the social infrastructure of their community.

Derwent Valleys Mills - In December 2001, the Derwent Valley Mills in Derbyshire became inscribed as a World Heritage Site. This international designation confirms the outstanding importance of the area as the birthplace of the factory system where in the 18th Century water power was successfully harnessed for textile production. Stretching 15 miles down the river valley from Matlock Bath to Derby, the World Heritage Site contains a fascinating series of historic mill complexes, including some of the world's first 'modern' factories

Dorset and East Devon Coast - The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the earth's history. The area's important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.

Proposed Darwin at Downe World Heritage Site - Charles Darwin’s home and neighbourhood at Downe, in Bromley, are being proposed as a World Heritage Site. Charles Darwin was born on 12th February 1809. His love of science and the natural world quickly developed. During his visit to the Galapagos Islands (now a World Heritage Site) his ideas on the theory of evolution began to form. In 1842 he moved with his family to Downe. Through his wildlife observations and experiments in the grounds of Down House and the surrounding countryside, he came to realise that evolution by natural selection is key to our understanding of the living world. At Down House he published his findings in his most significant work ‘The Origin of Species' and followed this with a series of influential books that contained vital evidence to support his theory. It is this unique legacy that makes the area so special and significant in a global context.

Ironbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It contains all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development of this industrial region in the 18th century, from the mines themselves to the railway lines. Nearby, the blast furnace of Coalbrookdale, built in 1708, is a reminder of the discovery of coke. The bridge at Ironbridge, the world's first bridge constructed of iron, had a considerable influence on developments in the fields of technology and architecture.

New Lanark is a small 18th- century village set in a sublime Scottish landscape where the philanthropist and Utopian idealist Robert Owen moulded a model industrial community in the early 19th century. The imposing cotton mill buildings, the spacious and well-designed workers' housing, and the dignified educational institute and school still testify to Owen's humanism.

Saltaire World Heritage Site, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers' housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism.

Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun - The enormous mining excavation known as the Great Pit at Falun is the most striking feature of a landscape that illustrates the activity of copper production in this region since at least the 13th century. The 17th-century planned town of Falun with its many fine historic buildings, together with the industrial and domestic remains of a number of settlements spread over a wide area of the Dalarna region, provide a vivid picture of what was for centuries one of the world's most important mining areas.

Engelsberg Ironworks - Sweden's production of superior grades of iron made it a leader in this field in the 17th and 18th centuries. This site is the best-preserved and most complete example of this type of Swedish ironworks.

Mines of Rammelsberg and Historic Town of Goslar - Situated near the Rammelsberg mines, Goslar held an important place in the Hanseatic League because of the rich Rammelsberg metallic ore deposits. From the 10th to the 12th century it was one of the seats of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Its well-preserved medieval historic centre has some 1,500 half-timbered houses dating from the 15th to the 19th century.

Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines - Founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, Guanajuato became the world's leading silver-extraction centre in the 18th century. This past can be seen in its 'subterranean streets' and the 'Boca del Inferno', a mineshaft that plunges a breathtaking 600 m. The town's fine Baroque and neoclassical buildings, resulting from the prosperity of the mines, have influenced buildings throughout central Mexico. The churches of La Compañía and La Valenciana are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Central and South America. Guanajuato was also witness to events which changed the history of the country.

Historic Centre of Zacatecas - Founded in 1546 after the discovery of a rich silver lode, Zacatecas reached the height of its prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Built on the steep slopes of a narrow valley, the town has breathtaking views and there are many old buildings, both religious and civil. The cathedral, built between 1730 and 1760, dominates the centre of the town. It is notable for its harmonious design and the Baroque profusion of its façades, where European and indigenous decorative elements are found side by side.

City of Potosi - In the 16th century, this area was regarded as the world's largest industrial complex. The extraction of silver ore relied on a series of hydraulic mills. The site consists of the industrial monuments of the Cerro Rico, where water is provided by an intricate system of aqueducts and artificial lakes; the colonial town with the Casa de la Moneda; the Church of San Lorenzo; several patrician houses; and the barrios mitayos, the areas where the workers lived.

Historic Town of Ouro Preto - Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city's influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity and the exceptional talent of the Baroque sculptor Aleijadinho.

Las Médulas - In the 1st century A.D. the Roman Imperial authorities began to exploit the gold deposits of this region in north-west Spain, using a technique based on hydraulic power. After two centuries of working the deposits, the Romans withdrew, leaving a devastated landscape. Since there was no subsequent industrial activity, the dramatic traces of this remarkable ancient technology are visible everywhere as sheer faces in the mountainsides and the vast areas of tailings, now used for agriculture.

Banská Štiavnica - Over the centuries, the town of Banska Stiavnica was visited by many outstanding engineers and scientists, many of whom contributed to its fame. The old medieval mining centre grew into a town with Renaissance palaces, 16th-century churches, elegant squares and castles. The urban centre blends into the surrounding landscape, which contains vital relics of the mining and metallurgical activities of the past.

Røros - The history of Røros, which stands in a mountainous setting, is linked to the copper mines: they were developed in the 17th century and exploited for 333 years until 1977. Completely rebuilt after its destruction by Swedish troops in 1679, the city has some 80 wooden houses, most of them standing around courtyards. Many retain their dark pitch-log facades, giving the town a medieval appearance.

To view the complete World Heritage Site List click here