Address: Carthew, Saint Austell, PL26 8XG, United Kingdom
Phone: +441726850362
Rating: 4.6
based on 192 reviews.
Exhibits and Museum Experience
Pros:
"Very interesting exhibits and write ups ending with a woodland walk to the viewing point to look down into a live working quarry."
"An absolute gem! Fabulous museum, plenty to read and see, lots of outside workings."
"Extensive indoor and outdoor exhibits, packed full of information."
"The museum was well laid out and informative, had plenty of different things to see and experience."
"Interactive exhibits on site and lots of information signs giving you a good idea of life when the mine was at its peak."
"Great museum showing the history of China clay. Interactive indoor areas and 3 outdoor trails, one being a history trail with the mining equipment spread across the site."
"Really well curated museum which not only explains the mining process in a fun way but also explains the history of mining in Cornwall and how that has shaped the local landscapes and communities."
Cons:
"Really interesting and informative but not enough to see or do for £9.75 entry fee."
"Nice place, but not good for those who struggle to read large blocks of text as that is the majority of how information is presented."
"However disabled access isn't so good and the reception is in a poor location so you have to walk through the atrium right to the back of the shop to buy tickets."
"The museum set up behind the cafe/shop looks a little worn out, but it doesn’t really hamper the enjoyment and educational aspect of the place."
"£31.50 for a few bits of machinery and a couple of vehicles, very disappointing."
"As I have no interest in this subject I found the whole experience uninspiring."
"The outer areas just resembled a run down relic of the past which has been left to deteriorate."
Cafe and Food Services
Pros:
"Cafe makes tasty scran and cakes are freshly made."
"The cafe has lovely locally produced food, delicious."
"Nice cafe serving good food...we had teacakes and pots of tea....very welcome after our visit!"
"Good coffee shop, excellent cake!"
"Extremely dog friendly too, nice little gift shop and rather nice cafe."
"The cafe is wonderful too. Plenty of choice and the cakes are delicious."
"Cafe serves good choice of food and drink!"
Cons:
"They closed the shop/tills and turned attractions off almost an hour before closing time."
"We had to queue for about 10 minutes for two drinks as the people working there are somewhat slow."
"The only downfall I would say is the cafe. The service was slow, the luxury hot choc was half empty & really not luxury."
"We wanted to try the cafe after our walks as all the reviews seem to rave about it... We waited ages and in the end turned around and left."
"They were brought over after another 5 minutes by a lady wearing a grubby looking bandage on her right hand... food hygiene rules... how on earth could she wash her hands properly for food prep?? Not impressed!!"
"Went for a lovely walk through the grounds but sadly the award-winning cafe was closed."
"We ordered 2 cream teas... 20 minutes later, we asked where the scones were. It seems they had forgotten."
Value and Pricing
Pros:
"Highly recommended."
"Excellent value."
"Ticket price allows access for 12 months so it's good to know you can go back if you're in the area again and the price is reasonable."
"Once you pay to get in (quite pricey I thought) you get a return ticket for the next year so that you can get in free for subsequent visits."
"For £10.50 entry it is very good value."
"The entry ticket is valid for 1 year."
"Far better value than Eden!"
Cons:
"Disappointed we had to pay full price when due to maintenance the wheels weren't turning."
"Still left feeling cheated and a bit underwhelmed."
"Admission on the pricey side if paying for kids (ours are below 5), but we would go back and pay."
"£31.50 for a few bits of machinery and a couple of vehicles, very disappointing."
Accessibility and Facilities
Pros:
"As a wheelchair user the museum is totally accessible, the outside wasn't but you can't expect it to be as it's a country park."
"Most of the site is wheelchair accessible, though a number of the outdoor trails are rather steep or accessible via stairs."
"The kids had great fun doing the clue trail and trying to find all of the hidden teddy bears."
"Not difficult to get around and there are several different trails."
"Plenty of accessible parking is available along with fabulous walks across the clay trails."
"We managed to do the pit view with a pushchair and we were really pleased we did."
"All in all a good day out, it gave a big enough range of information and activities for the whole family."
Cons:
"One point I would say is where you stand could be higher as we couldn't see to the bottom of the pit."
"However disabled access isn't so good and the reception is in a poor location so you have to walk through the atrium right to the back of the shop to buy tickets."
"Just a word of warning disabled access is amazing but it's on a bit of a hill climb."
"The children's trail wasn't amazing, and not really suitable for 3 year olds (our oldest)."
"Some quite steep and uneven paths in some parts of the site."
"Viewing area onto local working claypit more difficult to access."
"Quite challenging paths for anyone who might struggle."
Staff and Customer Service
Pros:
"Staff were very friendly and took time to answer questions."
"The staff were excellent and welcoming."
"The staff were friendly, eager to explain about the exhibits and helpful to two disabled members of our party."
"Very knowledgeable volunteer who had worked in the China Clay industry himself and was a wealth of information!"
"Staff are engaging and hugely knowledgeable about the history of this important Cornish industry."
"The staff were absolutely lovely and I really enjoyed talking (ok, listening!) about the process of China clay mining and extraction."
"All the staff were very welcoming and our dog was welcome too."
Cons:
"Be aware, however, that the operators of this place are the original lazy jobsworths who like to finish on the dot of five."
"They had even turned off the automatic doors that lead back into the shop from the museum."
"She seemed to know the other couple and they were so busy in their private conversation at the counter that no one even acknowledged we were there and waiting."