VITAL roof restoration works have been completed at the Grade II listed Tolgus Mill, Europe’s last tin streaming mill.

Work began in November 2023 with repairs to the roof that shelters the Frame House section. Team members spent eight months carefully removing tin roof sheets by hand, to be used as templates for reclaimed corrugated steel replacements.

They also installed new wiring to enable better lighting, opened a room that has been closed to the public for a decade, and uncovered long-hidden parts of the mill.

“We have strived to retain as much of the original structure and features as possible, and made every effort to use reclaimed wood and materials where appropriate, including three tons of old Cornish railway sleepers,” said Mike Taylor, managing director of sister attraction Cornwall Gold.

The second phase of restoration works will begin in 2025.

Located near Redruth, at the heart of Cornwall’s traditional mining district, Cornwall Gold offers visitors the opportunity to tour Tolgus Mill and experience an interactive exhibition.

Summer visitor numbers were up by a record 23 per cent this year. While the attraction is free to enter, profits from sales support restoration efforts and ongoing maintenance.