Learning with East Pool Mine

Why choose East Pool Mine for an educational visit?

East Pool Mine sits in the heart of the Cornish Mining World Heritage landscape, with the highest concentration of mining sites anywhere in the world.  East Pool Mine is unique: home to the last Cornish Beam Engine erected in Cornwall in 1925 as well as the largest Beam Engine still held within its Engine House.

You can book educational visits throughout the academic year, 5 days a week and can choose from a full day (4 hours) or adaptable workshops that can feature just the tailored site tour, or the tour and additional activities. Timings can be adjusted according to your needs.

A summary of our offers is listed below and can be customised to suit your group and your agenda.

East Pool Mine in World War Two: ‘We Need Tin to Win The War!’

Our brand-new education tour offer for 2025 marking the 80^th anniversary of VE day and the closure of East Pool Mine. Utilising some amazing and recently discovered resources, you can hear the voices of miners stationed and conscripted at East Pool Mine during wartime. You will see a propaganda video filmed above and underground at East Pool Mine in 1942 and indentify the techniques used to draw men to the mines instead of the battlefield.

Learn about miners’ daily struggles at work, the impact of rationing and social challenges as well as the role Cornwall played in winning the war.

This is a facilitated education offer with a tour guide who will show you around the site and tell you this unique story. 

For younger learning visitors and those who have booked a full day, there will be break-out activities which include a Cornish language scavenger hunt and outdoor, wartime themed activities.

The Power of Steam

Created in collaboration with Goldentree, this exciting tour makes tin miners of you all and helps you understand the problems miners faced underground and how the power of steam helped to fix those problems. This tour focuses on how Beam Engines work and uses interactive models to demonstrate the process of removing water from a thousand feet below surface level.

The group can then take a lead walk (0.3 miles) over to Michell’s Engine House to see the boiler in it’s house and learn about the early use of steam power.

For younger learning visitors and those who have booked a full day, there will be break-out activities which include a Cornish language scavenger hunt and mineral bingo.

East Pool Mine: History of Mining

Starting at Michells Engine House, you will explore the history of Cornish Mining from the 1700s until modern day. The group will understand different mining techniques and how these evolved to tackle extractions and problems. We will discuss the later issues facing Cornish mining throughout the 1900s, from Cousin Jacks to World War Two and Post-War Cornwall before discussing the future of Cornish mining.

For those who have booked a full day, there will be an additional film viewing to show the use of a rock drill and how this helped with the ore extraction process. There will also be a break-out activity of Mineral Bingo.

Self-led visits 

We can work with teachers to plan your own trip to East Pool to suit your programme of study. All self-led visits are free with an EGAP but must be booked in advance. You're encouraged to visit in advance, using your Education Group Access Pass, to prepare. 

Get in touch about bringing a school group to East Pool Mine

Please get in touch if you would like to know more about visiting East Pool or about our education offer:

eastpool@nationaltrust.org.uk

01209315027

Frequently asked questions:

Accessibility questions

For our full accessibility report see here: https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/assets/website/national/regions/cornwall/places/east-pool-mine/pdf/epm-access-statement-2024.pdf

How many students can we bring?

We can accommodate groups of up to 30 children per day.

What are the admission prices?

Schools can get free admission by taking out an Education Group Access Pass (EGAP). This is an annual membership costing £63 giving free access to all National Trust sites (terms and conditions apply).

Non-National Trust EGAP holders will be charged an admission charge with a 5% discount on standard pricing.

Pre-booking is a condition of the EGAP.

To find out more about EGAPs call 0344 800 1895, email enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk or visit Membership | Education Group Access Pass

Are Michell's Engine House and East Pool Mine the same site? 

Michell's Engine House is part of East Pool Mine but it is a seperate site, a short walk (0.3 miles) from East Pool Mine itself.  Please follow this link for a site map showing the route between Michell's and East Pool Mine.