About Gwennap Parish
Gwennap parish is a rural parish within Cornwall. It is located near the city of Truro and also the towns of Falmouth and Redruth. The parish has three main centres of population – Gwennap, Crofthandy and Frogpool/Cusgarne.
Gwennap parish has a small population with 1196 voters on the electoral roll living in 660 houses.
Mining Heritage
Historically, Gwennap was the richest mining district in Cornwall
during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and was referred
to by writers of the time as the ‘richest square mile to be
found anywhere on the earth’. The landscape in and around Gwennap
Parish clearly displays the effects of extensive copper mining.
United Mines, centered around what is now the landfill, produced
in excess of 350,000 tons of copper ore. Parts of Gwennap Parish
are now in a World Heritage Site, giving recognition to 'Cornish
Mining’s' historic landscapes and world class cultural and
heritage sites. More about about Gwennap's history can be found
here.
With the mines now closed, the main business focus in the parish is farming, although many small businesses are based in the parish and United Downs Industrial Estate is expanding.