I F IT wasn't for the parched earth, dry timbers, tin roofs and cloudless blue skies, you could almost believe that these photographs of stone engine houses and Methodist chapels were taken in Cornwall.

Perhaps that's a touch overstated, but there is no doubting the similarity of architecture between these solidly-constructed stone buildings at O'okiep in South Africa and those in the old country.

The striking images were taken by international mining heritage consultant Barry Gamble, who lives near Plymouth. A well-known historian and authority on mining landscapes, Mr Gamble did much to ensure that Cornwall and West Devon's mining sites were afforded World Heritage site status.

As well as studying the tin and copper areas of St Just, Carn Brea, Caradon and Devon Great Consols, Mr Gamble has surveyed several related sites across the world. He has travelled to Mexico, Australia, America's Grass Valley and Spain.

He recently visited Northern Cape Province as a guest of the South African government to examine and document Cornish and Devon interests in the mining region of O'okiep.

"The reason that I have been working over there is that O'okiep is a component of our Cornish Mining Frontiers transnational World Heritage Site proposal and, following my brief from the Cornish WHS office, I have been working with South African heritage guys."

Mr Gamble used an ultralight aircraft to capture some of the images of engine houses in the overtly "Cornish" landscape.

The involvement of Cornish miners in the Northern Cape began as far back as the 1850s, when men headed there in the hope of making their fortunes.

O'okiep Mine was surveyed in March 1856 and by 1862 was managed by John Taylor & Sons of London. They formed the Cape Copper Company and by 1874 the mine was described by a correspondent in the Mining Journal as "the richest copper mine in the world".

It was raising even more and richer ore than the mighty Devon Great Consols but, due to heavy transport costs the mine was less profitable. The cost of carriage across mountainous terrain and deep sandy plains to the coast was almost equal to the overall cost of mining. So to increase profitability they invited Cornish captain William Kitto to be one of the first managers of the Cape Copper Company. Richard Hall, a former superintendent engineer of the Redruth & Chasewater Railway, was charged with improving railway links.

Hall's 93-mile Port Nolloth Tramway, built between 1869 and 1876, was considered one of Africa's engineering marvels and set the 2ft 6in narrow-gauge for sub-Saharan Africa. In 1888, Cape Town General Directory of South Africa described the principal buildings of South Africa's oldest mining town as the Wesleyan Church and the engine houses of O'okiep Mine.

"These features are still standing," said Mr Gamble. "The red corrugated iron-roofed Methodist church, built in 1883, continues to be used and, remarkably, the engine house retains its engine. This 50-inch cylindered Cornish pumping engine was designed by Redruth engineer John Hocking and built by Harvey's of Hayle in 1882."

Outside Cornwall, the engine at O'okiep is believed to be the only original Cornish beam pumping engine, in situ on a metal mine, in the world.

Mr Gamble said: "In 2007, at the 31st session of Unesco's World Heritage Committee in New Zealand, I presented the initial concept for the Cornish Mining Frontiers proposal for a transnational nomination of World Heritage sites linked to Cornwall and West Devon.

"O'okiep was identified as one of the candidate sites because a Cornish engine house, with an original Cornish beam pumping engine, was known to exist.

"I wanted not only to examine the beam engine but to see what other buildings there were and to see whether South Africa could be eligible to join the serial nomination concept. Our World Heritage site is a cultural landscape and I kind of hoped that a 'transplanted' Cornish mining landscape might survive out there in the desert, in the middle of nowhere.

"I briefly researched the historical background prior to the visit and soon found the involvement of Cornish and Devon miners and engineers was hugely significant, including the transport infrastructure of railways and port. I discovered that it was once recorded that 'Port Nolloth without a Cornishman is like London without a Cockney'.

"We covered the O'okiep mine site with a fine toothed comb and found associated engine house remains, Cornish buddles for copper ore, substantial remains of a copper smelter, a fine Methodist chapel, miners' housing and a charming cemetery with many local names, particularly from the Tamar Valley. Even some of the headstones were made in Redruth.

"We also followed the course of the remarkable railway all the way to the jetty at Port Nolloth, almost all of which survives, with its associated water towers, bridges and even an explosive magazine.

"We also explored other Cornish-worked copper mine sites, some of which were quite remote. Again more cemeteries told a familiar story.

"Trying to get an overview of some of these sites, whilst walking through the dry scrub, was somewhat difficult, and after failing to find a local helicopter or plane, I struck lucky with a mine manager who was clearing a recently closed mine at nearby Nababeep.

"By chance he said that he could help me and that evening, in a warm Namaqualand evening sun and after nearly running over a large black scorpion, we were suddenly and jumpily airborne in an ultralight aircraft – which is a bit like a Vespa with cloth wings.

"After a sudden 60 foot lift in an unexpected thermal as we entered a mountain pass near Springbok the rest of the flight was truly rewarding in understanding, and photographing, what archaeology remained down there on the ground."

Mr Gamble is in Seville this month to attend the annual meeting of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, joining colleagues from Australia, Mexico and South Africa, before travelling to Japan as part of a team identifying sites for potential inclusion in a cultural WHS nomination.

For more details of Cornwall's mining legacy overseas visit www.cornish-mining. org.uk