Ross Rawlings - “Denizens of the valley”

“This collection of images visually explores a small valley in Cornwall that was once
used for tin and copper mining, a tramway was built through the valley to transport goods (Devoran to Porthreath) and subsequently became one of the richest square miles in the world. Now the vast majority of the mines are capped or abandoned meaning the land has become desolate, much of the wildlife has been affected by the acidic waste created by the metals during the 10 mile transportation between coasts. A small community remains spread out through the valley and I became interested in life in the valley, I wanted to meet the people that lived in valley, to understand the simplicity of living in isolation.

I photographed the land, the people that lived in or travelled through the valley.”