CORNWALL’S mining comeback could deliver decades of mineral production and skilled jobs, with the county’s Lord-Lieutenant visiting a major project near Callington to see progress first-hand.

Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho toured Cornwall Resources’ Redmoor project, which aims to extract tungsten, tin, copper and silver from an area with a mining history stretching back to Roman times.

Accompanied by Deputy Lieutenant Kate Holborow, he visited Kit Hill to view the historic mining landscape and active exploration drilling before meeting geologists and staff at the company’s offices in Kelly Bray.

The visit comes as Redmoor advances plans to help re-establish Cornwall and the UK as major sources of critical minerals, amid growing international efforts to secure supplies of strategically important metals.

Sir Edward said: “Mining has been in Cornwall’s DNA for thousands of years and made the area a cradle of the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries.

“So, after 30 years since the closure of the last deep mine in Cornwall, it is great news to see the potential revival of mining around Callington to provide vital strategic minerals and well-paid employment in an environmentally sensitive way. I look forward to hearing of progress in the future.”

Cornwall Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of AIM-listed Strategic Minerals, is exploring the potential to develop what it describes as Europe’s highest-grade undeveloped tungsten resource.

An updated assessment earlier this year indicated the project could support a mine life of up to 29 years, while a separate economic analysis estimated its value at US$1.5 billion.

The company has also secured US$9.25 million in funding from the US Government to accelerate feasibility studies and move the project towards a final investment decision.

Dennis Rowland, managing director of Cornwall Resources, said the visit highlighted the opportunity to build on the county’s mining heritage.

“Standing on Kit Hill, looking out across an area where mining has taken place since Roman times, is a powerful reminder of the industry’s importance to Cornwall over many centuries,” he said. “We now have an opportunity to build on that remarkable heritage and establish a new generation of metal mining, bringing skilled jobs, investment and long-term economic benefits to the area.”

During the visit, Sir Edward and Ms Holborow also toured the company’s core storage facility, where underground rock samples are examined and analysed to establish the extent and quality of the mineral resource.

The project’s international backing reflects the strategic importance of tungsten and other critical minerals to modern industry, as Western nations seek to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on overseas sources.

The US funding is intended to help move Redmoor through feasibility studies, a key stage in assessing whether the proposed mine can proceed. A final investment decision would follow further evaluation.

Mining in the Redmoor area continued into the mid-1940s, leaving a long industrial legacy across east Cornwall. The company hopes modern exploration and technology can help create a new chapter for the sector.

Although the project remains at the development and feasibility stage, its backers believe it could bring skilled employment and long-term investment to the Callington area while contributing to the supply of minerals considered vital to strategic industries.