This October, our team uncovered Cornwall’s industrial past with a week-long archaeological dig at Treffry Viaduct in the Luxulyan Valley near St Austell. The excavation was part of a project made possible by funding from GWR.
Treffry Viaduct was built between 1839 and 1842 for local mining entrepreneur Joseph Thomas Treffry. It was part of a local transport system designed to carry resources from the area’s mines and the south coast port of Par. It was the first large civil engineering structure of its kind to be built in Cornwall and the only known viaduct in Britain designed to carry both trucks and water. It is an incredible feat of engineering and any more information we can learn about its story is invaluable.
Several members of our staff and a group of dedicated volunteers were involved in the dig, which hoped to uncover the remains of the tramways and sidings adjacent to the 19th-century stone buildings near the monument. This area would have been a busy junction station in its industrial heyday, so there was the promise of much to discover there.
Whilst we didn’t uncover any of the granite railway blocks that would have supported the sleepers on this occasion, finds did include lots of metal pins that would have held the railway clamps together, confirming that we were on the right track! Our team also found lots of evidence of industrial activity in the compacted and darkened layers of earth. These findings gave a tantalising glimpse of what life might have been like at the site.
On Thursday 17th October, the excavation was made open to the public. Thank you to everyone who came along to see the dig in action, pick the brains of the archaeologists and take a closer look at some incredible finds previously discovered at the site.
Children from Luxulyan Primary School also visited the viaduct on this day for a special workshop with our Education and Outreach Manager, Caroline Davey. Pupils learnt more about the area’s industrial past by examining artefacts, exploring the site and even taking part in the excavation itself.