Cligga Head Wolframite Mine & Explosives Factory

The industrial guts of wartime Cornwall lie scattered across Cligga Head, where wolframite was torn from the ground and explosives were manufactured in secret. It's a proper industrial archaeology site - the kind of place where you can still see the concrete foundations, rusted machinery, and remnants of the mining operation that once supplied tungsten to the war effort. Walking the headland between Perranporth and Portreath, you'll spot the old mine workings and factory buildings, some still standing, others reduced to foundations and rubble.

This is for the history buffs and industrial archaeology enthusiasts rather than anyone expecting a visitor centre or guided experience. There's nothing slick here - just the landscape telling its own story if you're willing to read it. The coastal setting makes it more than just a mining site; the views across the Atlantic cliffs are genuinely good, though the attraction itself takes maybe 30 to 45 minutes to properly explore, depending on how deep you want to dig into the history.

Access is straightforward enough if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Anchor Barrow Campsite is barely half a mile away, and Perran View Holiday Park sits less than a mile off. It's the kind of thing that works brilliantly as an add-on to a coastal walk rather than a destination in itself. No entrance fee that I'm aware of, no facilities to speak of. Bring proper footwear - it's moorland and cliffside, so it gets boggy and windy. Best visited when the weather's clear enough to see what you're looking at.