Hayle was once a hub of Cornish industry, its harbour exporting copper and tin and importing coal to fuel the mines. The great foundries, notably Harvey & Co., built engines and machinery sent worldwide, leaving a legacy now part of Cornwall’s World Heritage landscape. Today, Brunel’s railway viaduct, together with the quays and harbour structures, reflects this industrial past, while the Hayle Estuary offers a contrasting haven for wildlife as an internationally important RSPB reserve.