What a difference four and a half years of conservation work has made to the 19th-century Crib Hut adjacent to Treffry Viaduct!
Work first began uncovering the building in September 2019. It was our first ever on-site conservation volunteering day – a real testament to how much our charity has grown – and since then the Crib Hut’s transformation has been truly remarkable!
September 2019
May 2024
Built between 1839 and 1842, Treffry Viaduct was designed to carry both trucks and water across the Luxulyan Valley for the mining industry. The Crib Hut is thought to have been used by tramway workers to provide shelter for them to rest in during breaks. Inside you can see the remains of a fireplace and a window, and you can imagine there would be a couple of wooden benches on either side where the workers might have sat.
Once a hive of industry, nature has very much reclaimed the landscape around the viaduct and invasive foliage and vegetation had been pulling apart the Crib Hut for some time.
Last Summer, a great deal of work to clear the area around the site and secure the structure took place thanks to the generous support of 15 new Cornwall Heritage Trust Life Members.
Further conservation work took place last week and saw our Rangers and volunteers join the Old Light Building Conservation Company to undertake some final consolidation of the outer walls and soft-cap them with turf. This recent conservation work has been made possible by funding from GWR, and we’re hugely grateful for its support.
