Summary
Surafce workings, level and shaft at Old Brandley Mine on Catbells, Derwentwater
Identification Images (0)
Most Recent Monitoring
None Recorded
Monument Types
- LEAD WORKINGS (Constructed, Late 17th C to Mid 19th C - 1667 AD to 1866 AD)
Description
Surface workings, level and shaft at Old Brandley Mine on Catbells, Derwentwater.
These mining features are a complex mixture of sixteenth century openworks and nineteenth century features including a level and shaft. The features can be broken into three separate zones working down the hillside that when combines cover and area of roughly 95m in length by 6m in width.
The uppermost workings appear as a long openwork which reaches the ridge line of Catbells. There is a single openwork or shallow shaft on the western side of the footpath along the ridge. Below this is an impressive openwork which shows evidence of hand tooling and is likely to be associated with the pre-blackpowder mining of the Company of Mines Royal who worked these fells from the 1560s. There are areas of fine processed mineral waste on the edges of the openworks suggesting that some sort of hand sorting and dressing of the ore took place on-site.
Below this is another openwork. This again shows clear evidence of hand tooling and is likely to be associated with the Mines Royal. This includes an impressive hand cut channel on a large detached rock on the northern side of the openworks. As before there are spreads of mineral rich material on the edges of the openworks suggesting hand dressing and sorting on-site.
Below this was a small openwork that may have its organs in the nineteenth century. Clearly the openwork has been widened by blasting in the nineteenth century, presumably to prepare the area before the shaft was sunk down to reach the lower stopes and workings.
Just below this and out of sight is a small neatly cut nineteenth century level driven in horizontally. This level remains open for some distance today.
This record was made by a volunteer archaeological survey team from the Lorton and Derwent Fells Local History Society.
Northern Archaeological Associates 2020
Site not visited
References
- --- SNA68842 - Unpublished document: Northern Archaeological Associates. 2020. Historic Landscape Survey for Derwentwater.
Other Statuses and References
- National Park (Lake District)
Associated Events
- ENA5595 - Field Survey, Volunteer archaeological survey of Brandlehow and Manesty
Associated Finds
None Recorded
Related Records
- Related to: Old Brandley Mine east of Skelgill Bank, Borrowdale (Monument) - 24408 / MNA117544