14/03/2026
EXCITING NEWS!
We are thrilled to announce that our independent charity is now caring for Houseman’s Engine House – part of the 19th-century South Phoenix mine complex on Bodmin Moor, which was transformed into Minions Heritage Centre in the 1990s. The centre closed in early 2020 and the building is not currently open to the public.
The site has been transferred to our charity from Cornwall Council.
Houseman’s Engine House was likely constructed in 1881 and named in honour of the Company Chairman at the time. It sat over Houseman’s Shaft and was built for the last big pumping engine made in Cornwall. This was fabricated at Holman’s Foundry in Camborne.
The mine survived for longer than many of its neighbours but, by 1898, it was abandoned and the equipment sold for scrap and most of the buildings demolished.
The engine house was purchased and restored by Caradon District Council in the 1990s as part of the Minions area heritage project. The project saw the building transformed into Minions Heritage Centre, a free-to-visit exhibition about the history, archaeology and ecology of the surrounding area. The centre was closed in early 2020.
In 2024, our charity undertook a project in conjunction with Cornwall Council to establish solutions to issues with the building, which could potentially result in the reopening of this invaluable community space and visitor attraction.
Find out more here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/our_sites/housemans-engine-house/
Now that we have taken ownership of the site, we will be hosting a community consultation day on Tuesday 3rd March from 1–3.30pm.
Due to the current closure of Linkinhorne Parish Hall, the consultation will take place at Darite Village Hall, Darite, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5JH. A second consultation will take place later this year within Linkinhorne Parish.
The consultation is not only an opportunity for the local community to meet our team, but also to offer ideas and suggestions for the future of the site, as well as information on its history and place in the local community.