The Man Engine’s resurrection tour of Cornwall was due to get under way with a media preview in West Cornwall last night.

VIP guests were invited to watch on the cliffs at Geevor as the team from Golden Tree Productions previewed the return of the giant mechanical puppet, created as a tribute to Cornwall’s industrial heritage.

The towering figure of a Cornish miner makes his public debut at Geevor tomorrow, March 31, and then appears at Heartlands, Pool, on Sunday (April 1) and the Royal Cornwall Showground on Easter Monday (April 2).

The Wadebridge date replaces the Man Engine’s planned appearance in Lostwithiel.

Waterlogged ground on the King George V Playing Fields and similar issues on the surrounding land that had been allocated for public parking facilities forced the decision.  

At each venue, there will be separate afternoon and evening transformation ceremonies, all surrounded by events and activities.

The largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain steamed the length of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site in summer 2016, visiting the Tamar Valley, Kit Hill, Minions, Liskeard and Lostwithiel on the way.

The success of the enterprise, created by Golden Tree Productions, was capped when it was named Best Arts Project in 2017’s prestigious National Lottery Awards.

On his resurrection tour, The Man Engine will travel on into Devon (April 3 at the Bedford car park in Tavistock) and then on to Somerset, South Wales and up to the North of England.