2.2 Heritage
Archaeological and historical monuments pepper the countryside and act as a constant reminder of the people and activities that have come and gone, and yet over 60% of the landscape (eg. the patterns of fields, farms and roads etc) is over 500 years old. In many areas, it is a truly ancient landscape with the second largest number of Scheduled Monuments (1564) in England and the highest density per sq km in the South West Region. It also has the largest number of protected medieval dovecotes, historic bridges, medieval stone crosses and mining buildings in the country.
Cornwall is particularly famous for the following classes of historic site: Prehistoric fields and farms (west Penwith and Bodmin Moor), prehistoric megalithic tombs, stone circles, and standing stones, early Christian and medieval religious sites, small medieval towns, military sites and historic mining and engineering sites. Over 135 of Cornwall’s historic towns and villages are Conservation Areas, in recognition of their distinctive character, their important architecture and the quality of their streetscape. Fishing villages, market towns, mining and quarry settlements are all important elements of what makes Cornwall so special. Keeping them special, through both the conservation of their distinctive character and the quality of new design is an essential part of sustainable regeneration.
Engine houses are an ‘iconic’ symbol of Cornwall, depicting the birth of the industrial revolution which spread across the world. Remarkable advances in hard rock mining and engineering technologies during the 18th and 19th centuries transformed the landscape, economy and society of the region, placing it at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. These technologies quickly spread to every corner of the globe as the international migration of Cornwall's highly skilled workforce forged extensive cultural links between mining communities worldwide.
In recognising the unique role of Cornish Mining in shaping modern industrial society, a bid has recently been submitted to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) putting forward the case for World Heritage Site Status for Cornish Mining. Around 5.5% of the County would be covered by the proposed World Heritage Site.