IT'S nearly a hundred years since the engine houses and chimneys of Cornwall started to be closed down and the thick smoke that hung across the lunar-like mining landscape of the 19th century began to waft away in the wind.

The importance of the mining industry was in danger of being forgotten as focus settled on its ugly scars and crumbling remains. But fresh thinking for the 21st century is forging a turnaround in attitude from disregard to celebration and remembrance in response to the creation of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

At 20,000 hectares it is the biggest collection of sites in the UK and this prestigious global status puts the area on a par with the likes of the Serengeti, Pyramids, Great Barrier Reef and Stonehenge. Set against spectacular backdrops, including striking coastline, rugged moors, river valleys and bustling harbours, the sites offer a myriad opportunities to explore world-changing mining culture.

On Monday, June 30 the public are being invited to share a magnificent sight when, for a brief moment in time, fires will be lit in more than 20 disused engine houses and chimneys will be brought to life and plumes of smoke will once again be seen over central Cornwall.

Smokin' Chimneys is part of Imagineers: A celebration of man, machine and land which runs from today until Sunday, July 6 in various venues around the Redruth and Camborne area. It brings schools, colleges, youth and community groups together with artists, performers, ex-miners and engineers to create events to encourage us all to look at mining heritage in a new light.

From 8pm on Monday, a small army of volunteers will be firing up the great chimney stacks around Carn Brea to create a fleeting and evocative image in the landscape. There'll be rousing live music and plenty of space to bring along a picnic and join in the party. For people who can't make it up Carn Brea there will also be great views and music at King Edward Mine near Troon. The event will go ahead whatever the weather.

On Tuesday and Wednesday from 11am to 2pm the Imagineers Trail will unfold along the Great Flat Lode between South Wheal Frances (Marriott's Shaft) and Wheal Bassett Stamps with special “happenings” in some of the buildings and in the landscape. Based around the notion that “necessity is the mother of all invention”, the Imagineers Trail is a unique experience created by young people from 12 local schools who have been working with artists and technical specialists among some of the most spectacular and important mining remains in Cornwall.

The trail will take about an hour and is a treasure hunt, exhibition and performance all rolled into one. Visitors are requested to park at South Wheal Frances, near Piece. (To book bikes for the trail call The Bike Barn on 01872 890140 or 01209 891498).

The exploration continues on Thursday from 6.30pm when Eric Rabjohns, Mel Greenhalgh, Rory Goodall and heritage artist Diane Spiers lead a discovery trail along the old Redruth and Chacewater railway track and trace the history and inhabitants of the Carn Marth area.

The path winds through landscape shaped during the Bronze Age and is rich in fascinating historical remains and wildlife. The trail culminates in a picnic treat at the summit of Carn Marth hill where people can make and fly kites and enjoy the stunning views from north to south coast. Bring stout shoes, your own kite if you have one and refreshments. Meet at Endsleigh House, Carn Marth Lane, Lanner, just off the new Redruth and Chacewater Railway (to book call 01872 323468).

From today Cornish Mines and Engines in Pool will host MINED, an exhibition of site specific installations by eight Cornwall-based artists, funded by the Arts Council England South West. The new works by Jane Atkinson, Alessandra Ausenda, Emma Churchill, John Keys, Amanda Lorens, Patrick Lowry, Steven Paige and Alison Sharkey respond to the rich social and industrial heritage of the mining landscape to form a journey through past, present and future.

The week will round off with the Imagineers Celebration on Friday, July 4 from 7-11.45pm – an evening of performance, dance, projections and music at the National Trust run Taylor's Engine House and Discovery Centre at Cornish Mines and Engines. With tasty food and drinks courtesy of The Melting Pot, the one-off party will include some of the Imagineers Trail installations from school groups, a performance by C-Scape Dance Company, music from Dalla and hispano rock from The Mosquitoes.

Admission to all the Imagineers is free but there will be a charge for food and drink. Imagineers brochures can be picked up from Cornish Mines and Engines, Kerrier District Council and venues across Cornwall, downloaded from www.imagineers.org.uk or call KEAP on 01872 275187. For Mine & Yours details visit www.cornishmining.com/mineandyours. For the Smokin' Chimneys event, vehicle access to Carn Brea is limited to residents and the restaurant. You can park at Tesco in Pool and at Carnkie Farm