FINAL touches are being made to Cornwall’s record-breaking Man Engine before it’s revealed for the first time tomorrow.

The 10-metre plus Man Engine is preparing to ‘awaken’ and undertake his historic journey the entire length of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, some 130 miles, over two weeks of major celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape being added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, in a project entitled Tinth. 

 The largest mechanical puppet ever made in Britain, the ‘miner’ is the same height as a double decker bus when in its ‘crawling’ mode, but will ‘transform’ to almost three times that height when stood up.   Throughout its journey the part man, part machine will be accompanied by animated theatrical shows with music, theatre and storytelling, created by a team of more than a dozen ‘miners’ and ‘bal-maidens’ who will animate the giant throughout his travels.

Golden Tree Productions, the creators of the Man Engine, have been building the behemoth at a top-secret location and have purposefully only shared scant details of how the Man Engine will work.  Its imposing appearance, and workings will only be revealed to the world, as it awakens for the first time in Bedford Square, Tavistock at 10am tomorrow. 

From July 25 to August 6 the Man Engine will make its journey from Tavistock to Geevor Tin Mine.

The Man Engine’s itinerary tomorrow: Tavistock (10am); Tamar Valley via Tamar Valley Centre, Drakewalls (12.30pm); Kit Hill, Callington, 5pm.

On Tuesday it’s the big day in Liskeard (2pm) and Minions (6.30pm) – we have full details in this week’s edition of the Cornish Times, on sale now. And on Wednesday, the spotlight is on Lostwithiel (5pm).