The mine was operated semi-commercially and produced tin on a regular basis, employing some 10–20 men in addition to the college teaching staff.

Cornish mines, due to conservatism and a lack of cash, were slow to adopt the mechanised dressing equipment and methods that were developed at the end of the 19th century.

Most dressing plants of that period merely allowed the pulp coming from the Cornish stamps to settle in long launders from where it was dug out for final treatment in buddles and kieves – a labour-intensive and inefficient process.

Over the years, as mining education became more technical, the tin dressing machinery was replaced with pilot scale equipment.

In 1974, the pilot plant was transferred to the new School of Mines Trevenson Campus at Pool and the 'mill complex' part of the site, which included the mill, stamps, mill engine house, boiler house and the calciner, had been largely stripped of their equipment and were no longer required for educational purposes.

Much material and equipment has been loaned or donated, and the mill has been largely returned to a working condition, substantially as it would have been in the early years of the 20th century.

Whilst designed for education purposes, it demonstrates, on a small scale, all that would have been found on the best Cornish mine at the turn of the century.

After major building repairs, funded by a European grant as part of the Mineral Tramways Project, the site was officially opened to the public on 28 April 2002.

The site was taken over by Cornwall Council and a £1.1 million grant from the National Lottery meant much needed work could be done, with provision of a café and some existing buildings being converted into revenue-producing workspaces.