Harvey’s Foundry Trust (The Trust) is a grassroots community organisation which evolved in the mid-1980s from the local community working in partnership with key stakeholders who saw the opportunity to focus regeneration on the derelict Harvey’s Foundry site not only to promote the history of the area, but also to address its physical dereliction.
The group also sought to take advantage of the opportunities the space offers, becoming one of the catalysts for the significant and sustainable economic and social regeneration of Hayle.
‘Turning a decaying underused area into a vibrant sustainable development, with a wide range of uses that will underpin and support a Harvey’s Foundry Heritage and Educational Centre’
Harvey’s Foundry Master plan 2000
Our overall aim is the protection and promotion of Hayle's heritage; our core values are conservation, education, and regeneration.
By renovating redundant listed buildings and bringing them back into economic use (and thus safeguarding their future), the Trust ensures that significant heritage assets of the town are preserved for future generations. The income generated from this activity means that the Trust is not reliant on grants for its core running costs and, most importantly, enables the Trust to undertake our educational mission to enhance people's enjoyment and understanding of Hayle’s heritage.
A master plan was prepared in 1996 (updated in 2002) and it has been delivered in a phased approach. With phases 1, 2 and 3 now complete, five listed buildings have been redeveloped to create offices and workspace (Plantation Store, Pattern Shop and Foundry Farm) and a stylish new build (Dowren House) has been built. We also own and manage John Harvey House, a Grade II * Listed building that houses Hayle Heritage Centre.
We have been highly successful: there are over 50 businesses based on our site with over 200 high quality jobs having been created in ICT, marketing, graphic/digital design, and the creative and cultural industries. The scheme has won a Civic Trust award and commendation from RIBA and is held as an exemplar project by the Prince's Regeneration Trust on how to use historic buildings in effective regeneration.
We pursue our education values through Hayle Heritage Centre. Our aim is for the centre to act as the cultural anchor for our site, Foundry Square, and the wider town.
We are developing an exciting new project John Harvey House project that will see the transformation of our heritage centre, this is a £3.5 million project that will enable us to create a much more viable and visible centre in the town with a wide-ranging two-year outreach programme.
