Camborne townscape

Camborne contains the best example in the Area of large-scale urbanisation associated with the Industrial Revolution in metal mining and engineering.

It is a town forged by industry and characterised by relict zones of key enterprises, such as the world-famous Holman’s Foundry & Rock Drill Works, and classic industrial building types of cottage rows, pubs and chapels.

 Camborne is the prime example of speculatively-built industrial housing in Cornwall. The townscape is dominated by classic industrial cottage rows, robustly built and remaining substantially unaltered. © HES.

Fine public buildings characterise the townscape, such as the Market House and Town Hall (1867), the Literary Institute (1842) and the J Passmore Edwards Library (1895). There is also a Masonic Hall (1899) in Cross Street. The Wesleyan Centenary Chapel (1839), in Centenary Street, was built to commemorate the centenary of Charles Wesley’s conversion in 1738.

Trevithick statue (Listed Grade II). The bronze statue stands in front of the Passmore Edwards Library, Camborne, and shows Richard Trevithick holding a model of his road locomotive which made its first run up Camborne Hill’ on Christmas Eve, 1801. This was the first full-sized locomotive in the world.
 

 Wesleyan Centenary Chapel (1839). © HES.
Trevithick statue. © HES. Town clock tower erected by John Francis Basset, 1868. © HES. Holman Brothers Rock Drill Works. © HES.
   

Click here to find out more about Camborne.
 

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