Close to the village of Trewoon on the outskirts of St Austell is the Blackpool China Clay Pit. I visited the area in 2018 and had a wander, the place has a wealth of industrial remains, more than anything it was the size of the China Clay workings that surprised me.
All these images were taken on land allowing public access, many areas are fenced off and should not be entered.
Blackpool Pit closed during November 2007 causing a great loss to the local economy with 500 workers being made redundant. The pit had been operational for over 170 years, the closure was due to reduced foreign demand for the product.
I continued to drive up the road and found myself alongside the main pit. On the skyline I could see the roofs of the buildings in the processing works. The end of the road was blocked but there was space to park and have a wander around.
Down the road I finally saw the huge flooded pit, there is a footpath that goes around the outside of it. Walking in the quiet the only sound was the singing of birds and the constant sound of running water.
Driving back along the road there are some good views of the processing plant. So, once again I parked up and had a wander with the cameras.
On the otherside of the A3058 are the remains of the Blackpool dryers. Deside the railway are some amazing structures were built during 1965, they can be seen for miles around. These are silos which were constructed to contain powdered china clay. But sadly this design never worked properly as the clay would not flow freely and would jam up constantly.
I really cannot wait to get back with the cameras.