Royal visit for Imerys

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Imerys Minerals has welcomed HRH The Princess Royal on a visit to mark the 275th anniversary of the discovery of china clay in Cornwall.

The Princess Royal received an insight into the industry past and present and the opportunity to meet Imerys staff when she toured the Karslake complex and Littlejohns Pit, at the heart of Imerys operations in mid-Cornwall. This included an opportunity to see the high-pressure hose site where water is used to wash China Clay from the surrounding rock.

On hand to talk Her Royal Highness through what she was seeing was Imerys UK hub director, Ashley Shopland, who said: “We were very excited to share the story of china clay with The Princess Royal and to introduce her to some of our employees that have made the legacy of our industry possible.

“China clay has a proud history and has shaped the communities and landscape of mid-Cornwall. It continues to be an important industry for Cornwall, both economically and socially, and 275 years of successful operations is a significant milestone. So, we were glad that we could mark the occasion with such an important visit.”

As part of the day, The Princess Royal also visited Wheal Martyn Clay Works – Cornwall’s museum of the china clay industry, located on the edge of St Austell in the heart of the Clay area.  While there, she had the opportunity to meet staff, volunteers and stakeholders and officially open new facilities, including a dedicated activity/learning space, a gallery for temporary exhibitions, currently showing a new body of work, ‘Clay Country’ by artist Kurt Jackson.

The Princess Royal meeting Wheal Martyn volunteer, Malcolm Gould