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Coledale is a
Coledale's most notable feature is Force Crag Mine; the buildings, spoil heap and associated structures of which are practically the only sign of human influence in the upper valley.
Mineral workings may date back to 1578 in the valleyForce Crag Mine - the last working lead mine in the Lake District
Stuart Abbott ''ulsa.org.uk'' Significant workings did not begin until the 1800s with lead and silver being mined until 1865, ending with a drop in the price of lead rendering it uneconomic. Later Barytes was mined, with 5300tons of ore being produced up to 1879 when again market forces led to production ending. The mine was worked on and off with various changes in operation, and under different owners, with lead, barium and zinc ores being extracted. In 1990 a collapse in the mine led to it being closed, and ownership passed to the
Force crag Mine
Images from inside the mine, ''www.mine-explorer.co.uk''
Diagram of Force Crag Mine levels and workings
''aditnow.co.uk''
Force Crag Mine
detailed history ''forlornbritain.co.uk''
Park and Stride - Eel Crag from Braithwaite
Coledale horseshoe walk and history of mine, ''www.bbc.co.uk''
Force Crag Mine informationopening times
at the National Trust Valleys of Cumbria Lake District
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
in the northwestern region of the Lake District
The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...
in Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
, England.
Geography
Coledale is a narrow U-shaped valley running approximately north-east towards the Derwent Valley floodplain and the village of Braithwaite at the northeastern end. The valley river Coledale Beck feeds into Newlands Beck and is fed by small streams from the valley sides and head, including Birkthwaite Beck, and Pudding Force. At the head of the valley a large rock formation is found named Force Crag, which forms a waterfall 'Low Force' as Pudding Beck passes over it. The valley is ringed by peaks popular with tourists ( Grisedale Pike,Hopegill Head
Hopegill Head is a fell in the English Lake District in Cumbria. It is located west of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, Keswick and is well seen from the B5292 road which crosses the Whinlatter Pass.
Topography
Hopegill Head is the middle fell ...
, Coledale Hause, Crag Hill (formerly Eel Crag), Sail
A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...
, Sail Pass, and Outerside) forming a horseshoe ridge walk known as Coledale horseshoe or 'Coledale round'.
Force Crag Mine
Coledale's most notable feature is Force Crag Mine; the buildings, spoil heap and associated structures of which are practically the only sign of human influence in the upper valley.
Mineral workings may date back to 1578 in the valleyForce Crag Mine - the last working lead mine in the Lake DistrictStuart Abbott ''ulsa.org.uk'' Significant workings did not begin until the 1800s with lead and silver being mined until 1865, ending with a drop in the price of lead rendering it uneconomic. Later Barytes was mined, with 5300tons of ore being produced up to 1879 when again market forces led to production ending. The mine was worked on and off with various changes in operation, and under different owners, with lead, barium and zinc ores being extracted. In 1990 a collapse in the mine led to it being closed, and ownership passed to the
National Trust
The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
.
There were two workings of the mine, the ''low'' and ''high'', and as of 2015 the mill of the mine still stood. The building is a scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
and the mine is a site of special scientific interest. The buildings can now be visited by appointment through the National Trust.
As well as an aerial ropeway for transporting ore to the mill built in the late 1930s, the mine also operated a small narrow gauge railway in the mine, utilising diesel and battery powered locomotives, one of which ( Wingrove & Rogers Battery loco) is now at the Springfield Agricultural Railway, three gauge wagons from the mine are to be found at the Moseley museum in Redruth
Redruth ( , ) is a town and civil parishes in Cornwall, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. According to the 2011 census, the population of Redruth was 14,018 In the same year the population of the Camborne-Redruth urban area, ...
, Cornwall.
References
Further reading
* (Out of print.)External links
{{commons category, Coledale, CumbriaForce crag Mine
Images from inside the mine, ''www.mine-explorer.co.uk''
Diagram of Force Crag Mine levels and workings
''aditnow.co.uk''
Force Crag Mine
detailed history ''forlornbritain.co.uk''
Park and Stride - Eel Crag from Braithwaite
Coledale horseshoe walk and history of mine, ''www.bbc.co.uk''
Force Crag Mine information
at the National Trust Valleys of Cumbria Lake District