Hayle: John Harvey House

John Harvey House occupies a prominent position on Foundry Square, Hayle. Dating from 1780 with 19th-century additions, it once served as the main office for Harvey and Co Ltd, one of Hayle’s two great iron foundries, which built ships and produced mining machinery for export worldwide.

Notable engineers such as Arthur Woolf and Richard Trevithick worked in its drawing office, most recently located in an 1888 addition at the rear of the building.

The Grade II* listed building, home to the Hayle Heritage Centre, will undergo a final phase of structural repairs to the roof, walls, and the interior of the drawing office, completing a programme that began in August 2024. (Image: Supplied)

Today, the building retains historical features. The remains of the original 18th-century foundry with a furnace and lime kiln, an early 19th-century office with two iron-plated armoured strong rooms, an impressive granite staircase, cast-iron pillars, and ceiling beams repurposed from 19th-century railway tracks.

Managed by Harvey’s Foundry Trust, John Harvey House is set to reopen in autumn 2026 as a revitalised space featuring new exhibition and event areas, improved public access, and additional educational facilities.

Historic England awarded grant for Harvey House in Hayle | Falmouth Packet