Just a personal opinion but I must admit to finding the history of Portreath fascinating, both socially and industrially.. A microcosm of Cornwall perhaps.
It was an important port during the 19th century regarding copper and coal with the tramway and the Hayle railway incline but also very dependant on fishing as were most places in Cornwall. In the early 1800s the village had not yet developed so crews for the fisheries and women to work in the "fish palace" had to be found elsewhere.
As Michael Tangye says, "paid expence at Star Inn St. Ives for men fetching women and their glass of liquor each on leaving the place each time".
As he goes on to say one can visualise Henry Bath and his associates touring the dimly lit public houses, the persuasion over a glass of beer and the resultant crew grouped together and walking to Portreath.
MTs little booklet "Portreath; some chapters in its History" is worth a read if you get the chance. Unfortunately there isn't much left from the early days apart from the harbour and where the famous incline was.
So there you go. Do the mines around Porthtowan, walk along the cliff path to Portreath (well worth it) and have a pasty while trying to visualise it 200 years ago. 🙂 An old map is very useful.
A bit dependant on whether winter has decided to take a breather.
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.