Redruth facts for kids

For the township in Australia, see Redruth, South Australia. For the suburb of Timaru, see Redruth, New Zealand.

Quick facts for kids Redruth Cornish: Resrudh
Town and civil parish
Fore Street, Redruth town centre
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Population	15,634 (2021)
Civil parish	Redruth
Unitary authority	Cornwall
Ceremonial county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	REDRUTH
Postcode district	TR15
Dialling code	01209

Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western

EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Camborne and Redruth
List of places UK England Cornwall 50°13′58″N 05°13′35″W / 50.23278°N 5.22639°W / 50.23278; -5.22639

Redruth is a town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its name comes from the old Cornish words for "Red Ford." In 2011, about 14,018 people lived in Redruth. When you include nearby areas like Camborne, the population grows to about 55,400. This makes it the largest group of towns in Cornwall. Redruth is located near the main A30 road, which connects London to Land's End. It is about 9 miles (14 km) west of Truro and 12 miles (19 km) east of St Ives.

Celtic wooden cross in New Cut Car Park

What Does the Name Redruth Mean?
Redruth's Mining History
- Important Buildings from the Mining Era
How Redruth is Governed
- Recent Election Results
Learning in Redruth: Schools and Libraries
Famous Buildings in Redruth
Redruth Today: Life in the 21st Century
Getting Around Redruth: Transport
Cornish Wrestling: A Local Tradition
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Name Redruth Mean?

The name Redruth comes from the old Cornish name, Rhyd-ruth. This means "Red Ford." The first part, 'Rhyd', means a place where you can cross a river. The second part, '-ruth', means the colour red. So, the town's name literally means "Red Ford." This name likely came from the river turning red due to mining activities long ago.

Redruth's Mining History

Native Copper mineral specimen from Huelvor near Redruth.

Redruth started as a small settlement near a river crossing. Early settlers found lots of tin and copper in the ground. When they dug up these metals, the river often turned red from the minerals. This is probably how the town got its name.

For a long time, Redruth was a small market town. But in the 1700s, people needed a lot of copper. Copper was important for making brass, which was used in the Industrial Revolution. Redruth had many copper deposits, so it quickly became a very important mining area in Britain. The town grew fast, and many people moved there to work in the mines.

By the late 1800s, mining in Cornwall started to slow down. Many miners moved to other countries like the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa to find work. Redruth then changed from a mining town to a place where people lived and worked in other jobs. The last big mine in Cornwall, South Crofty, closed in 1998.

Important Buildings from the Mining Era

Many important buildings were built in Redruth during its mining boom.

The School of Mines and Art School opened in 1882–83.
The Mining Exchange was built in 1880. This was a place where people bought and sold shares in mining companies.
The Free Library was built in 1895.

How Redruth is Governed

Redruth is part of the Camborne and Redruth area for the UK Parliament. This area chooses one person to represent them in the government. This area was created in 2010.

Recent Election Results

In the 2024 general election, Perran Moon from the Labour Party won the seat for Camborne and Redruth. He received 19,360 votes.

General election 2024: Camborne and Redruth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Perran Moon	19,360	40.5	+6.3
	Conservative	Connor Donnithorne	11,554	24.2	-29.1
	Reform UK	Roger Tarrant	8,952	18.7	+18.7
	Liberal Democrats	Thalia Marrington	4,113	8.6	+0.1
	Green	Catherine Hayes	2,840	5.9	+3.1
	Liberal	Paul Holmes	624	1.3	0.0
	Socialist Labour	Robert Hawkins	342	0.7	+0.7
Majority			7,806	16.3	+2.3
Turnout			48,007	64.6	-7.1
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+17.7

Learning in Redruth: Schools and Libraries

The Passmore Edwards Free Library

Redruth has several schools for young people.

Redruth School is a secondary school for students aged 11–16. It used to have a sixth form, but that closed in 2020.
There are also several primary schools, including Pennoweth School, Treleigh School, Treloweth Community Primary School, Trewirgie Infant School, and Trewirgie Junior School.
The Curnow Community Special School helps students with special needs.

The Passmore Edwards Free Library was built in 1894. It has a unique castle-like design with an octagonal tower. This building was once a school where local children learned.

Famous Buildings in Redruth

St Uny's Church

The Old Courthouse

St Uny's Church is the main church in Redruth. It was first built a very long time ago in the Norman style, but it was rebuilt in 1756. Its tower is even older.
The old post office building is now the Redruth Civic Centre. This is where the Redruth Town Council meets. It also houses the Redruth Library.
The Old Courthouse was finished in 1850 and used to be where the local council met.

Murdoch House: A Place of Firsts

Murdoch House and St Rumon's Gardens

Plaque on Murdoch House

Murdoch House is a very special building in Redruth. It was built in the 1660s as a chapel and later became a prison. From 1782 to 1798, a man named William Murdoch lived there. He was an inventor who worked on steam engines for mines.

Murdoch made history by fitting his house with gas lighting using coal gas. This was the first house in the world to be lit this way! Today, Murdoch House has been restored and is used by local history groups.

Kresen Kernow: Cornwall's History Hub

Kresen Kernow is a modern building built on the site of an old brewery. It holds all the historical records and collections from Cornwall. It's like a giant library and museum for Cornwall's past. You can find old documents, books, and even special tapestries that show Cornwall's history.

The Tin Miner Statue

The Tin Miner statue

In April 2008, a large bronze sculpture of a Cornish miner was put up in Redruth. It stands 6 feet 7 inches (2 meters) tall. This statue was created by artist David Annand. It was made to honour the history of the men who worked hard in the tin and copper mines of the area. Many people felt the town needed something to remember these important workers.

Redruth Today: Life in the 21st Century

Regal Cinema

Redruth's Fore Street at night, showing one of the groups of bronze 'dogs'.

Redruth is a busy town with many shops and businesses. It is connected to other towns around the world through "twinning" partnerships. These towns include Plumergat and Meriadec in France, Mineral Point, Wisconsin in the United States, and Real del Monte in Mexico.

Shopping and Town Look

Redruth's town centre has a cinema, a covered market, and many unique shops. The streets have special wooden seats, granite decorations, and streetlights. You can also see two sets of bronze 'dogs' made by sculptor David Kemp. These dogs were cast from the boots of old tin miners! The town uses a burgundy colour theme in its public areas to match its name.

Heartlands Visitor Park

Just outside Redruth is Heartlands, a fun visitor park. It's built around the old Robinson Shaft Mine. Here, you can find a playground for older kids, a restaurant, and sometimes you can even see the last working Cornish pumping engine! It's a great place to learn about the area's mining past.

Sports in Redruth

Redruth has a strong tradition in sports.

Redruth Rugby Football Club is a well-known rugby team. Famous players like Phil Vickery and Richard Sharp have played for the club.
The town also has a football club, a Tang Soo Do (Korean Karate) and Kickboxing Academy, and a hockey club.
Redruth Cricket Club has several teams and plays in the top Cornish cricket league.

Famous People from Redruth

Many talented people were born or grew up in Redruth:

Kristin Scott Thomas (born 1960), a famous actress.
Mick Fleetwood (born 1947), the drummer and co-founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.
Luke Vibert (born 1973) and Richard D. James (born 1971), both well-known electronic musicians.
Rory McGrath (born 1956), a writer and comedian.
Benjamin Luxon (1937-2024) and Alan Opie, both famous opera singers.
John Passmore Edwards, a kind person who gave a lot of money to help build libraries and other public buildings.

Getting Around Redruth: Transport

Redruth railway station

Redruth is an important place for travel.

The railway station connects Redruth to places like London Paddington, South Wales, and the Midlands.
Many buses run through Redruth, connecting it to nearby towns like Helston and Falmouth.
The town is right next to the main A30 road, which is the main route for driving out of Cornwall. Other roads like the A393 and A3047 also pass through Redruth, linking it to other areas.

Cornish Wrestling: A Local Tradition

Redruth has been a big centre for Cornish wrestling for hundreds of years. This traditional sport was often held at a place called Plain-an-Gwarry.

In the late 1800s, Redruth hosted important wrestling matches, including ones for the "Championship of the World." Many strong wrestlers from Redruth became successful in this sport around the world.