Background
The son of a mine captain, Richard Trevithick was a proud Cornishman and one of the most brilliant and underestimated engineers and inventors of his time. He invented the first steam engine to run on tracks, as well as the Puffing Devil which famously climbed Camborne Hill. Little did he know that these incredible feats of engineering would be the forerunners of the Railway, a form of transport which would transform the world. His Cornish Beam Engine would also enable the mining industry to go deeper than ever imagined. Learn about this celebrated Cornish inventor and about the lives he touched with his visionary ideas.
Typical Workshop
- Presentation about his life and his inventions
- Learn how the Cornish Beam Engine transformed mining in Cornwall
- Pupils dress up and tell the stories of the miners and Bal Maidens who form part of Cornwall’s rich heritage
- Make a model of a Cornish engine house
- Play a bespoke game about the History of mining in Cornwall