BRITISH MINING No.70 LEAD MINING IN THE DERWENT VALLEY by W.K. PIRT & J.M. DODDS Covering the Mining Districts of Blanchland, Ramshaw, Townfield, Edmondbyers and Healeyfield @@@@@ Researched by W.K. Pirt & J.M. Dodds With contributions from C. Gilfellan A MONOGRAPH OF THE NORTHERN MINE RESEARCH SOCIETY DECEMBER 2002 1 2 ISSN 0308 2199 ISBN 0 901450 55 3 © W.K. PIRT & J.M. DODDS 2002 Typeset in 10 point Times New Roman by N.M.R.S. Publications. PRINTED by FRETWELL PRINT AND DESIGN Healey Works, Goulbourne Street, Keighley, Yorkshire, BD21 1PZ for the publishers THE NORTHERN MINE RESEARCH SOCIETY KEIGHLEY, U.K. Cover illustration: Presser mine 1906 pump house with Ramshaw Rake in distance (W.K. Pit, 1980) 3 CONTENTS Introduction 9 Acknowledgements 11 GEOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE DISTRICT 11 CHIEF LOCATIONS Blanchland – Hunstanworth - Townfield 13 Devil’s Water 15 Edmondbyers 15 Healeyfield 15 THE MINING PROCESSES Hushing 16 Adit Levels 16 Waterwheels 17 Steam power 18 Hydraulic power 19 Smelting 21 Transport 22 Measures 23 SOCIAL ASPECTS Health 25 Accidents 25 Old payment system 26 New wages structure 27 Ore Duty Payments 27 General lifestyle, religion and education 28 Sustenance and Accommodation 29 THE MINERAL LORDS Edmondbyers 30 Muggleswick 30 Blanchland Abbey 30 Hunstanworth 32 EARLY PERIOD UP TO 1600 34 THE PERIOD FROM 1600 TO 1700 The Ords 36 The London Lead Company 39 THE LONDON LEAD COMPANY PERIOD 1700 TO 1750 Ryton Smelt Mill 40 Boltsburn and Shildon 40 Westgarth Forster Snr & Jnr 45 4 THE LONDON LEAD COMPANY PERIOD (1750 TO 1800) Bolts Burn 47 Shildon 48 Nookton Burn 49 Dispute at Slaley 49 Hunstanworth 50 Newbiggin Mines 50 THE PERIOD 1800 TO 1850 51 Easterby, Hall and Company 52 London Lead Company dereliction 53 Development under Easterby, Hall and Company 55 Arkendale and Derwent Mining Company 62 Hopper, Monkhouse & Company 65 Hall & Puller 65 Overdue Lease 69 Smiddum Ore Dispute 70 DERWENT MINING AND SMELTING COMPANY 72 DERWENT LEAD MINING AND SMELTING CO. LTD 95 Derwent Mines 106 Whiteheaps Mine 107 Shildon 108 THE PERIOD 1900 TO 1950 The Consett Water Company’s Bill, 1902 110 Hetherington’s 1917 Report, on Hunstanworth Mines 110 Grindstone Cleugh 112 Blanchland Fluor Mines Ltd 113 British Steel Corporation 115 Weardale Mining & Processing 115 Finale 115 BELDON ROYALTY Beldon Shield Mine 116 Beldon engine 118 Beldon and North Derwent Mining Company Ltd 120 New Beldon Lead Mining Company Ltd 120 Reeding Mine 121 Newbigginhope 122 Burntshieldhaugh 123 EDMONDBYERS DISTRICT 126 Harehope Gill Mine 127 Hexham and Edmondbyers Lead Mining Company 127 Burnhope Mine 128 Swandale Mine 129 Sandyford Mine 130 Eudon Grove Mine 131 5 MUGGLESWICK Early History to 1700 132 Mines Royal 132 London Lead Company 132 Errington, Muschamp & Company 134 Elliot, Little & Company 134 Featherstone & Company 135 Lord Crewe Trustees’ Comments 136 Reworking the Deads 136 Healeyfield Mining Company 137 Smith’s Comments 139 Cottages 140 Difficulties 140 Silvertongue Mine 141 Glass Manufacture 142 Stone Requirements 143 Cottages 143 Tragedy 144 Hisehope Mine 145 Mosswood 146 Healeyfield Smelt Mill 146 Other Prospects 147 SMELTING ON BOLTS BURN Ramshaw smelt mill 148 Derwent (Jeffrey’s) smelt mill 148 ACTON HIGH AND LOW SMELT MILLS Acton High (Old) smelt mill 151 Acton Low (New) smelt mill 154 Technical Findings 155 Feldon smelt mill 156 British Lead Company 158 FIGURES 1 General geological section of the Derwent Mining District. 11 2 Sketch map of district, showing the three main areas. 14 3 Main watercourses in the Ramshaw and Hunstanworth area. 18 4 Balance bob at Ramshaw pumping shaft. 20 5 Shildon 64 inch engine. 24 6Sketch map of Little Nookton Burn. 50 7 Side elevation of Beldon engine house. 59 8 Principal veins at Hunstanworth and Ramshaw. 64 9 Arrangement of flat rods at Ramshaw, Jeffrey’s and Sikehead. 66 10 Surface plan of Bill Quay works, owned by Hall. 70 11 Sketch plan – smiddum ore dispute. 71 12Plan for new crusher, Ramshaw. 75 13 Vertical sections of the principal shafts at the Derwent Mines. 85 6 14 Vertical cross section of the Jeffrey's Veins. 86 15 Longitudinal section of Company’s Vein, Whiteheaps. 87 16 Longitudinal section of Jeffrey's Sun Vein. 87 17 Longitudinal section of Jeffrey's North Vein. 88 18 Principal shafts at the Whiteheaps and Sikehead mines. 90 19 Detailed surface plan of Sikehead Mine, 1862. 91 20 Longitudinal section of Whiteheaps White Vein. 92 21 Principal shafts at the Ramshaw mines. 96 22 Vertical section of Ramshaw Sun Vein. 97 23 Principal shafts at the Ramshaw and Jeffrey's workings. 101 24 Surface plan of Jeffrey's shaft, showing the pressure engine. 102 25 Surface plan of Deborah Level dressing floor. 103 26 Seal of Derwent Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd. 106 27 Frontispiece of sale catalogue of fixed and loose plant, 1884. 109 28 Plan of the Burnhead and Powerhouse drifts, Whiteheaps. 111 29 Sketch map of Beldon royalty. 116 30 Surface plan of Shildon Level. 117 31 Arrangement of 64 inch engine controls, Shildon. 118 32 Sketch map of Beldon Shield Mine 122 33 Plan of Castleberry Vein workings, Beldon Burn. 123 34 Shildon and Reeding Mines – position of veins. 124 35 Sketch map of Burntshieldhaugh. 125 36 Map showing location of the Edmondbyers group of mines. 126 37 Longitudinal section, Burnhope & Swandale Mines. 128 38 Sketch map of Sandyford Mine. 130 39 Map showing locations of the Muggleswick group of mines. 133 40 Plan and section of Healeyfield Mine. 138 41 Layout of Derwent Low Level. 139 42 Sketch plan of Jeffrey's Mill, Bolts Burn. 149 43 Plan of Derwent Smelt Mill, Bolts Burn. 150 44 Plan of Acton Burn showing location of old and new mills. 152 PLATES 1 Hush on Burntshieldhaugh Vein, Devil’s Water. 16 2 Burntshieldhaugh or Mill Level, Ramshaw. 17 2 Possible remains of gin gan. 19 4 Wheel pit and balance bob chamber at Ramshaw. 20 5 Bishop head of balance bob inside chamber. 21 6 Typical spear rod pulley support, Jeffrey’s east end . 21 7 Presser Mine, 1906 pump house. 22 8 Existing northern-style engine house at Shildon Mine. 23 9 Appearance of the demolished engine house at Shildon. 23 10 Stone-built leat pillars and engine bed bolts. 25 11 Manor House, Jeffrey’s Rake. 45 12 Aerial view of Bolts Burn. 46 13 Deborah Level portal. 81 14 General view of Sikehead Mine. 89 15 Routh’s-Ellen’s shafts, Sikehead. 93 16 Robinson’s Level, Sikehead, with the late Trevor Morris. 93 7 17 Sikehead – steam hawser. 94 18 Taylor’s Shaft chimney, shortly after being struck by lighening. 107 19 Taylor’s Shaft angle bob pit. 108 20 Mr Adamson, Whiteheaps. 112 21 Prof. Potts at Whiteheaps, with Mr Horrocks and Mr Adamson. 112 22 Exsud miners at Green’s Shaft. 113 23 Tram tipping, Whiteheaps BSC drift. 114 24 Tram road, Whiteheaps “dib”. 114 25 Part of dressing plant, Whiteheaps Mine, pre BSC. 115 26 Shildon Level, from south. 117 27 Shildon engine house, viewed westwards from Shildon Lane. 119 28 Shildon dressing floor, Blanchland, viewed from west. 119 29 General view of Beldon Shield Mine. 120 30 Watercourse, Beldon Shield. 120 31 Aerial view of Reeding Mine. 121 32 Square drawing shaft, Beldon. 123 33 Round pumping shaft, Beldon. 124 34 Slime pits at Burnhope Mine, Edmundbyers. 131 35 Blacksmith’s shop, Dene Howl Mine. 134 36 Dean Howl Mine, Healeyfield. 134 37 Healeyfield dressing floor. 136 38 Mine office, Dean Howl. 137 39 Derwent Low Level. 140 40 Wheel pit, looking back towards Low Level. 141 41 Wheel pit in wood, Hisehope Burn. 142 42 Hisehope shaft wheel pit and beam support. 145 43 Hisehope Shaft top. 146 44 Healeyfield smelter, Castleside. 147 45 Hairpin Flues, Healeyfield Smelt Mill. 147 46 Inside flue, Derwent Smelt Mill. 151 47 Inside barrel flue, Derwent Mill. 151 48 Looking down onto browse yard, Derwent Mill. 151 49 Outfall of Bolts Burn, from below Deborah dressing floor. 153 50 Stream channel protection, Bolts Burn. 153 51 Site of Acton Low Mill. NB remains of bingstead on left. 156 52 Feldon Smelt Mill site, general view. 156 53 Square chimney base, overlooking site. 157 54 Close view of condenser. 158 55 Artifacts, including a barrow wheel. 158 56 Corner of a cast iron workstone. 159 57 Double sided pipestone, used in both positions. 160 (Note: all photographs taken by W.K. Pirt unless stated otherwise) 8 INTRODUCTION My first experience of the Derwent Mines was in a conversation with a fellow pupil in my class at school in 1960. He described a section of the Bolts Burn valley at Ramshaw, not far from his home at Blanchland, telling of a narrow valley with numerous tunnels leading into the bank side. All were stone arched and could be followed underground for hundreds of yards uphill until one eventually emerged at the other end. It was not until the late summer of 1963, on a local Field Club outing, that I had a chance to visit the area and examine these features. I was informed with great conviction by the outing leader that the tunnels were flues that had carried poisonous fumes away from a lead smelting mill in the burn bottom. This kindled my interest in lead mining and frequent visits to the site – Jeffrey’s Smelt Mill at Ramshaw – were later made. Whilst at the local Technical College, in 1966, I became involved in an extra mural study group project to list as many of the industrial archaeology sites of the district as were known at the time.