King Edward Mine is at the eastern part of the South Condurrow Mine which was abandoned about 1890. It was re-opened in 1897 and developed as a fully operational/training mine by the Camborne School of Mines (CSM). King Edward (as it was re-named in 1901) was completely re-equipped, both on surface and underground, with modern machinery reflecting what was then considered the best Cornish practice. It was intended that the tin produced would cover most of the mining costs.
The mine regularly produced tin up until World War I when operations were suspended. By 1920 it was back in production. This was short-lived as in 1921 the adjacent deeper Grenville Mine stopped working. As the two mines were interconnected, the consequent flooding of Grenville also flooded the King Edward workings. Underground operations, on a much reduced scale, were transferred to a dry shallow section of the Great Condurrow Mine to the north. The surface area of the mine was retained and used for teaching mining, ore dressing and surveying. The remainder of the lecturing continued to be carried out at the main campus in Camborne.
In 1974 the pilot plant and most of the lecturing in mining, ore dressing, management, and surveying moved to the main School of Mines Building. The mill complex was no longer needed and it became a store. In 1987 a volunteer group was formed with the objective of conserving the site as an educational resource for the future and to operate it in a manner that benefits the local community. Using rescued machinery, the mill has been restored to working condition much as it would have been in the early years of the last century. Much of the machinery is rare and all the buildings are listed grade II*.
The mine is open to visitors where the original machinery can be seen in operation. No underground access is possible although extensive surface artifacts remain.