Discovering the Lead Mining Heritage of the North Pennines

www.friendsofthenorthpennines.org.uk Charity No:1137467 Charity www.friendsofthenorthpennines.org.uk

The Friends – working to keep the North Pennines special for tomorrow. tomorrow. for special Pennines North the keep to working – Friends The

www.dukesfield.org.uk of other sponsors. sponsors. other of

landowner, Allendale Estates. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generous support support generous the and Fund Lottery Heritage the by funded is It Estates. Allendale landowner,

partnership with Hexhamshire and Slaley Parish Councils and has the active support of the the of support active the has and Councils Parish Slaley and Hexhamshire with partnership

www.dukesfield.org.uk

The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project is led by the Friends of the North Pennines in in Pennines North the of Friends the by led is Project Carriers and Smelters Dukesfield The

searchable database. searchable Friends of the North Pennines 07935 337210 07935 Pennines North the of Friends

eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in a fully a in centuries nineteenth early and eighteenth summarised in another format. another in summarised

number of letters and reports from the seventeenth, the from reports and letters of number

Please ask us if you would like this leaflet leaflet this like would you if us ask Please

This includes biographies of key figures and a vast a and figures key of biographies includes This

want to delve deeper into the history of lead mining. lead of history the into deeper delve to want

ways. Find out more at more out Find ways. www.dukesfield.org.uk

It also contains a huge amount of material for those who those for material of amount huge a contains also It

mining heritage of Dukesfield smelt mill and the lead carrier carrier lead the and mill smelt Dukesfield of heritage mining

about the Dukesfield project and the lead carrier routes. carrier lead the and project Dukesfield the about

led project to discover, conserve and celebrate the lead lead the celebrate and conserve discover, to project led

The Dukesfield website is packed full of information of full packed is website Dukesfield The The Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project was a community community a was Project Carriers and Smelters Dukesfield The

For more information: more For

verview.

durham/woodland-gaunless-valley-heritage-walk-p671331#o

www.thisisdurham.com/outdoors/walking-in-

A circular walk exploring the area can be found at found be can area the exploring walk circular A

Gaunless Smelt Mil Smelt Gaunless

www.northpennines.org.uk/Pages/BlanchlandGeotrailvideo.aspx

Watch a video guide to the walk: the to guide video a Watch

A circular walk starts from picturesque Blanchland. Blanchland. picturesque from starts walk circular A

Shildon Engine House House Engine Shildon

www.dukesfield.org.uk/downloads/walks-cycle

Dukesfield Smelt Mill Smelt Dukesfield industrial past can still be seen seen be still can past industrial

places in the region where signs of an an of signs where region the in places

wnloads/enp020.pdf

www.explorenorthpennines.org.uk/sites/default/files/activity/do A guide to the many varied and fascinating and varied many the to guide A

3-mile walk exploring geology and mines around Allenheads around mines and geology exploring walk 3-mile

Allenheads

www.northpennines.org.uk/Pages/SlittWoodvideoguide.aspx

A video trail: video A

wnloads/enp022.pdf of the North Pennines North the of

www.explorenorthpennines.org.uk/sites/default/files/activity/do journey of discovery into the past. the into discovery of journey

Self guided trail leaflet: trail guided Self explore. This leaflet shows you some key places to start your your start to places key some you shows leaflet This explore.

Lead Mining Heritage Mining Lead

Slitt Mine, Westgate & West Rigg Opencut Rigg West & Westgate Mine, Slitt has left behind a rich heritage and there is much to see and and see to much is there and heritage rich a behind left has

once dominated this landscape and its communities. Lead mining mining Lead communities. its and landscape this dominated once

the featured sites overleaf. sites featured the

Discovering the the Discovering

mining area. Although now all is tranquillity and beauty, mining mining beauty, and tranquillity is all now Although area. mining

lead mining heritage. Look for the symbol alongside symbol the for Look heritage. mining lead

In Victorian times the North Pennines was Britain’s biggest lead lead biggest Britain’s was Pennines North the times Victorian In

available to help you discover more about the area’s the about more discover you help to available

Smelters and Carriers Project Carriers and Smelters the North Pennines North the

There are a growing number of online resources online of number growing a are There

DUKESFIELD

Discovering the lead mining heritage of heritage mining lead the Discovering Weblinks and downloads and Weblinks

The Lead Routes to Blaydon © Crown copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Licence number 100042893. Carrying lead ore to smelt mills and lead from the mills to wharves on the River Tyne was a huge challenge. Every year hundreds 05kmN of horses trudged thousands of journeys Scale with ore or lead on their backs. The routes they trod linked Tyneside to the North Pennines. Many now form exhilarating high Acombcomb A69 AnickAnick 9 HeddonHeddon level walking routes, such as the carriers’ A69A6 on-ton-the-Wallhe-Wall A69 Newcastle-Newcastlewc e way between KillhopeHaydony and Allenheads. WylamWylam Bridge Corbridgerbr upon-Tyneupon-Tyn-T e Hexhamm OvinghamOvinghv am PrudhoePrudhoP e BlaydonBlBlaydlaydony on Greensidenside RidingRid ng Mill GatesheadGatesheaesh StocksfieldStocksfield Coalburns

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Kiln Pit Hill B6295

Sinderhope Blanchland Moor

Carriers’ Way Edmundbyers

Blanchland Black Way Broad Way Carrshield

Key A68

Principal lead mines Allenheads This watercolour sketch from the early 1800s shows a carrier with Coalcleugh Principal smelt mills & refineries his team of pack horses. Allenheads © Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library Main carriers’ routes Nenthead Rookhope For a detailed map of the carriers’ routes go to: Killhope www.dukesfield.org.uk/history/interactive-map. There is also an interpretation panel at the end of the Cowshill to Stanhope routes by the Keelman’s Way at Blaydon. 10. Shildon Engine House, Blanchland NY 959 510 Mining at Shildon stretches back to the Middle Ages. A rare pumping engine house survives. A coal powered steam engine was installed here in the early 19th century to pump water from the mine. It proved uneconomic and later the building was home to mining families. A circular walk starts from Blanchland. Rigg Opencut, Westgate 12.West NY 910 392 Rigg was a nineteenth century West ironstone opencast mine which left Slitt vein standing proud in the This very middle of the quarry. important geological site shows what a lead vein looks like. Nowhere else in the North can you see a vein Pennines exposed in the same way. Rigg is featured in the same West guide and video trail as Slitt Mine. 14. Gaunless Smelt Mill, Copley NZ 086 249 Most large landowners leased mining rights to companies for a percentage of the lead ore ore’. This mill was called ‘duty built by the Earl of Darlington who owned Raby Estate in Teesdale. The Earl had his duty ore smelted here using local coal. The tall chimney rising above the woods is a very striking reminder of the industrial past. ) – see downloads. 12 www.dukesfield.org.uk Dukesfield mill is an early smelt mill, established in the 1660’s. The mill was built a long way from the mines because it needed abundant nearby timber for fuel. It was also on the way to markets. The graceful Tyneside’s Gothic arches which carried a very early horizontal flue from the mill are now a striking remaining feature. 9. Dukesfield Smelt Mill, 9. Dukesfield Hexhamshire NY 941 579 11. Slitt Mine, Westgate NY 905 391 biggest Once one of Weardale’s lead mines. Extensive remains include a waterwheel pit, the base for a hydraulic engine and fine set of bouse teems (ore storage bays). Above the mine is a reservoir which supplied water for A circular walk hydraulic power. village starting from Westgate takes in both Slitt Mine and West Rigg (point 13. Eggleston Saddle House NY 988 248 This inconspicuous little building is near to Egglestone smelt mills. Hundreds of pack ponies were used to carry sacks of lead ore on their backs to the smelting mills. tradition has it that this was Local where the wooden saddles for pack ponies were kept. It is the only known saddle house in the North Pennines. West Crook A691 Auckland CONSETT to Beamish Museum to Durham Tow Law Tow to Darlington A66

Cafe Pub

88 100055995.

A6 A6 Shotley Bridge

A68

A67 A67 Castleside 6 14. Gaunless Smelt Mill, Copley Woodland 4 10km Wolsingham

to Newcastle

BARNARD CASTLE

A69 A69

Corbridge B6278 13. Slaley N

B6306 Edmundbyers Cotherstone 10. Eastgate Shildon Engine House Middleton- in-Teesdale Car parking Public toilets Local accommodation Local 9. Dukesfield Smelt Mill Blanchland West Rigg West 12. Westgate Whitley Chapel 11. 8. Rookhope Tyne HEXHAM St John’s St John’s Chapel Slitt Mine Teesdale

Rookhope Arch

7. River Allenheads B6295 Cowshill 6. Weardale Weardale Museum Allendale Langley Smelt Mill chimney Allen Mill 1. 6277 Allen B

2. East 5. Ireshopeburn Haydon Bridge

Allenheads

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8. Rookhope Arch 8. Rookhope NY 924 429 Rookhope Arch is the last remaining element of Rookhope smelt mill. A long flue carried smoke containing fine particles of lead away from the mill. Valuable deposits of lead were scraped from inside the flue which crossed river and road on a series of stone arches. Only one now survives.

A69 A69 Killhope Museum

Ninebanks Allen 4.

West

A686 A686 Bardon Mill 3.

Whitesyke and Whitesyke Bentyfield Mines

Nenthead

685

Nenthead 685

A A Alston

Garrigill 6

Haltwhistle A68 South Tyne A686

A689 to Penrith 7. Weardale Museum, 7. Weardale Ireshopeburn NY 872 385 The small but packed Weardale Museum has a recreated cottage room and displays about Methodism. Upstairs there is a display of local minerals and resource centre for genealogists and one of the few surviving pieces of smelted lead, found on the fells where it had been dropped by a Next door is High House carrier. chapel, first built when John was still making regular Wesley visits to the lead mining area. www.weardalemuseum.co.uk Discovering the Lead Mining Heritage of North Pennines has been This map shows where the lead mining heritage of North Pennines conserved and interpreted. Each place is different the wonderful landscape will make your journeys of discovery a real pleasure. of the North Pennines to Carlisle

Slaggyford

A69 A69

13 A66 B6413B64 2. Allen Smelt Mill, Allendale NY 831 566 Allen Mill was a massive industrial operation, smelting lead from many mines and extracting silver from the lead. A complex of ruined hearths and the large waterwheel pit survive. The horizontal flues running for miles up the hillside to two chimneys are the most impressive in the North Pennines. www.allenmill.co.uk 4. Nenthead NY 783 433 A visit to Nenthead demonstrates the huge impact lead (and later zinc) mining had on this high and remote village. In the village are miners’ cottages, chapel, reading room and school. A short walk away are the smelt mill buildings and a truly astonishing mining landscape covering a vast area. www.nentheadmines.com 6. Allenheads NY 860 453 Allenheads was the headquarters the biggest mining of WB Lead, The business in the Pennines. village teems with historic buildings and structures. Visit The Old Shop with its displays Blacksmith’s the of geology and mining, Armstrong hydraulic engine, the horse track down which ponies were taken into the mine and bouse teems or ore storage bays. B6412

M6 1. Langley Smelt Mill Chimney NY 840 610 was a extensive complex Langley of lead smelting buildings. A long horizontal flue carried smoke from the smelting hearths to this Other mill impressive chimney. chimneys survive above Allen Mill in Allendale and Jeffries Mill near was served by Blanchland. Langley a railway: the station is now garden cafe. and Bentyfield 3. Whitesyke Mines, Garrigill NY 750 424 At Whitesyke mine you can see the mine entrance and the washing floor area where lead ore was separated out from waste material. Rare lead-tolerant plants have colonised this area. A short walk beside the Garrigill burn brings you to Bentyfield mine with its mineshop or lodging house. 5. Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, Weardale NY 825 431 Killhope is an open air museum centred on the nineteenth century Mine and washing floor Level Park where children worked to separate lead ore from waste. The impressive working waterwheel catches the eye, but Killhope is very much a hands-on museum with lots to do, including trips down the mine. www.killhope.org.uk