Harvey's Foundry Trust

Promoting the Preservation & Development of the former Harvey's Foundry Site in Hayle, Cornwall

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History of the Trust

Harvey's Foundry and the Trust has been a long-term community project. Here is a brief history: -

  • In 1985 a working group for the benefit of the town was created called ‘Hayle Town Trust’. The group fought a proposed demolition of Harvey’s Hammer mill and Ropery structures. Funds were raised and the area was cleared, landscaped and opened to the public as Millpond gardens.
  • By 1998 the group had raised over £200,000 to turn the area into an attractive public space with interpretation boards and walk leaflets.
  • By the mid-1990s, the group was also a supporter of a campaign to save the remaining Harvey’s Foundry buildings in the town and ‘the Harvey’s Foundry steering group’ was created. This, in turn, became a sub-group of Hayle Town Trust, the sub-group won support of local and district councillors and had the remaining buildings listed. The group also won the support of the new owners of the buildings and land, the Guinness Trust, to retain the foundry complex pending the production of feasibility plans.
  • In 1996 an outline master plan for the site was produced by Atlantic Consultants.
  • In 1998 a conference was held which achieved the support of Local, District and County Councils and the Prince of Wales conservation group ‘Regeneration Through Heritage’.
  • From 1999, Harvey’s Foundry steering group worked with the support of Penwith District Council officers and Regeneration Through Heritage to deliver the master plan.
  • In 2000, English Heritage commissioned a Hayle Historical Assessment.
  • In May 2002, the master plan was updated by Stride Treglowan architects in identifying individual areas to be brought forward in a phased approach.
  • In March 2002, a conservation plan was also undertaken as part of the update.
  • In 2003, Phase 1 was completed; 8000 sq ft. of office space (Dowren House) was created and the Grade II* listed building John Harvey House was rebuilt (costing £1,979,000).
  • In 2003, a new Trust was formed with nominated members from Hayle Town Trust sitting on the board.
  • In 2006, the Trust employed its first staff member, Laura Christon, as the development manager, to develop and build the capacity of the organisation.
  • In January 2007, Phase 2 was completed. The scheme created 13 workshops for art and craft based businesses, and 3 live/work units (Foundry Farm) costing £3,300,000.
  • In 2008, Stride Treglowan undertook a feasibility study looking at the remaining buildings on site, their massing potential and the next delivery phase. This was paid for by the Trust owns funds (£10,000).
  • In 2008, The Trust was awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to run a two-year oral history project. The project was a great success, attracting over 20 new volunteers, interviewing over 40 people and had over 500 people attend its final exhibition.
  • Also in 2008, the Trust opened Hayle Community Archive in the Brewery Office on Sea Lane, a Grade II* listed building. The new archive built upon Hayle Archive that had been running for many years but needed support. The Hayle Community Archive became an official sub-group of the Trust and we found it a new home.
  • In December 2010, the Trust employed a finance and contracts officer, Alison Hanlon, to run the Trust's financial affairs.
  • In October 2011, the Trust was awarded a grant of £108,000 from Cornwall Council's Economic Initiative Fund. This grant was to develop the next phase of building work on the site.
  • In 2011, Purcell UK was appointed as the design team on Phase 3. In the same year, the Phase 3 project received a grant of £180,000 from English Heritage.
  • In 2012, to coincide with the Olympics, the Trust ran a project that looked at Hayle's sporting history. We worked with a wide range of groups from the town and held an exhibition that saw over 300 people attend.
  • In 2013 the Trust raised enough funds to open Hayle Heritage centre, the centre had a core exhibition and artefacts relating to the history of the town with a rolling programme of events and activities.
  • In September 2013, the Trust was awarded a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund to run a yearlong community project that looked at Hayle during the First World War. This project was highly successful and saw the Trust collect a new body of research, work with the secondary school, run creative workshops, work with over 40 brownies and hold a summer exhibition that saw over 600 people attend. See the exhibition on our Hayle Heritage Centre website here.
  • In 2014, the Phase 3 project was given a Round 1 pass of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Heritage Enterprise grant programme. It was awarded £54,000 to undertake development work before submitting a Round 2 application.
  • In 2015 the Trust secures the funding package for its Phase 3 project, obtaining £25,000 from the Garfield Weston foundation, £50,000 from the Headley Trust, £3.7 million from Heritage Lottery Fund through the Heritage Enterprise grant with a £540,000loan from CAF bank.
  • In June 2016 the Trust expands it staffing to employ a full time Learning & Outreach Officer and a part time Administrative Officer.
  • In June 2016 The Trust wins an award for Best Use of Heritage, Arts, Culture or Sport in Place-Makingby the Place making & Planning Awards.
  • In July 2016 contractors EBC take over the site and work begins on the Phase3 project.
  • July 2016 also see the Trust opens up a new exhibition space at the Heritage Centre and achieves 1000 visitors for the first time.
  • October 2016 The Trust receives a grant of £2000 from AIM to work on the Biggleston collection. (LINK to heritage centre Bigglestone page)