Summary

This ancient small lead mine is situated on the east flank of Skelgill Bank.

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Description

A small lead with most of its workings on east flank of Skelgill Bank (NY247204). The oldest part is on the top of the hill where some openworks and an open shaft can be seen. Below this are four levels, the one of most recent date being the lowest at 600 ft AOD. The mine was worked, rather infrequently, by the lessees of Brandlehow Mine.

Mining Details: The mine is on the Brandlehow Lode which is either divided or has a small off shoot at this point. Some of the workings may be on one branch, some n the other, but no records have survived to clarify matters. From the plans it would appear that a reasonable quantity of ore was found at the top of the hill, the yield decreasing with depth. The ore contained 7 ozs of silver per ton of lead metal. Fluorite was found in abundance in the upper levels, a vary rare gangue mineral in the Lake District.


History: The openworks belong to pre-gunpowder days and nothing is known about them (see, however, Minersputt). There is good reason to believe that the Coate's Level and the two below it were driven by John Tebay; if so, this would place the work between the years 1819 and 1835. The Low or New Level was driven by Keswick Mining Company in about 1850 but soon given up for want of success. In 1873 Messrs H.K. Spark and B. Plummer re- opened the bottom two level and did a little prospecting work. Nothing has been done since (Adams, J. 1988).


Brandley is one of the most extensive mines in the Skiddaw Slates, and also one of the most ancient. There is no record of the date when it was first worked, but that it was anterior to the introduction of gunpowder into mining, is proved by the fact that some of the old workings at the northern end of the mine have been cut with stope and feather; and it has no doubt, with the exception of some short intervals, been wrought almost continuously since the time when those implements were in common use (Postlethwaite, J. 1976, pages 83-86).

This record was made by a volunteer archaeological survey team from the Lorton and Derwent Fells Local History Society.

Northern Archaeological Associates 2020
(GIS) This is a general number for 29936-9, 29945. Condition assigned is average of sites within group.

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