This symposium explores the many ways that extraction has contributed to the character and significance of the beautifully varied landscape of Cornwall and Devon: the landforms of pits, shafts and heaps, dams, adits and leats, and the distinctive structures built for hauling, pumping and dressing. The landscape of extraction extends further via tramways, railways and roadways and draws in the chapels, smallholdings, and grand houses, terraces and rows that owe their existence to extraction and contribute to distinctive corners of Devon and Cornwall.
Talks will include explorations of the winning of tin and copper, granite, china-clay and sand. They will also consider how people respond to such startling or subtle historic landscape. Visitors appreciate awesome and sublime industry (as at Carclaze, illustrated); local communities see poignant reminders of busy workplaces where skill, strength and cooperation brought valued materials to the surface.
The Symposium will also be live online per ZOOM.
The fee is £15 both for those attending in person and those joining online (tea and coffee included for the former; links sent nearer the time for the latter). There will be bookstalls and displays. As we hope that as many people as possible will attend in person, in order to meet up with old friends from both Cornwall and Devon, we have kept the price lower than usual for in-person attendance.
Booking can be made either by post or by email, and payment can be made by cheque or by Paypal (see details on the booking form).