Coledale (Cumbria)
Encyclopedia
In Cumbria
, England
, Coledale is a valley in the northwestern region of the Lake District
~(N54°39'W3°14')
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
, Coledale Hause - Eel Crag (Crag Hill), Sail
, Sail Pass, Outerside
) forming a horseshoe ridge walk known as Coledale horsehoe or 'Coledale round'.
Mineral workings may date back to 1578 in the valley 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 uneconomical. Later Barytes was mined with 5300 ton 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
.
Two workings exist low and high,
As of 2009 the mill of the mine still stands The building is a Scheduled ancient monument
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 Sprinfield Agricultural Railway, three 2 ft gauge wagons from the mine are to be found at the Moseley museum in Redruth Cornwall.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Coledale is a valley in the northwestern region of the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
~(N54°39'W3°14')
Geography
Coledale is a narrow V shaped river valley running approximately north-east towards the Derwent ValleyDerwent Valley
The Derwent Valley Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, Australia. As its name suggests, it covers the upper part of the Derwent River, from the major town of New Norfolk to the remote south-west Hydro town of Strathgordon....
floodplain and the village of Braithwaite
Braithwaite
Braithwaite is a village in the northern Lake District, in Cumbria, England. Historically within Cumberland, it lies just to the west of Keswick and to the east of the Grisedale Pike ridge, in the Borough of Allerdale. It forms part of the civil parish of Above Derwent.The eastern end of the...
at the northeastern end. The valley river Coledale Beck
Coledale Beck
Coledale Beck is a minor river running through Cumbria in England.The beck rises north east of Eel Crag, where Pudding Beck meets Birkthwaite Beck. From there, Coledale Beck runs east north east through Coledale, between Grisedale Pike and Causey Pike...
feeds into Newlands Beck
Newlands Beck
Newlands Beck is a minor river of Cumbria in England.The beck rises on Dale Head and flows northwards through the picturesque Newlands Valley, past the settlement of Little Town and between Braithwaite and Portinscale before flowing into Bassenthwaite Lake north east of Thornthwaite.-Tributaries:*...
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
Grisedale Pike
Grisedale Pike is a fell in the Lake District, Cumbria, England situated west of the town of Keswick in the north-western sector of the national park. At a height of 791 m it is the 40th highest Wainwright in the Lake District; it also qualifies as a Hewitt, Marilyn and Nuttall...
, Hopegill Head
Hopegill Head
Hopegill Head is a fell in the English Lake District in Cumbria. It is located nine kilometres west of the town of Keswick and is well seen from the B5292 road which crosses the Whinlatter Pass.-Topography:...
, Coledale Hause - Eel Crag (Crag Hill), Sail
Sail (Lake District)
Sail is a hill in the English Lake District, lying between Derwentwater and Crummock Water.-Topography:The North Western Fells occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north-south axis. Two roads cross from east to west, dividing...
, Sail Pass, Outerside
Outerside
Outerside is a fell in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It is located 6 kilometres west of Keswick in the north western part of the national park and is a smaller member of the Coledale group of fells with a height of 568 metres...
) forming a horseshoe ridge walk known as Coledale horsehoe 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 valley 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 uneconomical. Later Barytes was mined with 5300 ton 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
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Two workings exist low and high,
As of 2009 the mill of the mine still stands The building is a Scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
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
Wingrove & Rogers
Wingrove & Rogers Ltd of Kirkby, Liverpool, built industrial vehicles including both small electrically motorised trolleys and electric locomotives , largely for use in mines and by tunnelling contractors....
Battery loco) is now at the Sprinfield Agricultural Railway, three 2 ft gauge wagons from the mine are to be found at the Moseley museum in Redruth Cornwall.
Images
- Force crag Mine, Images from inside the mine , www.mine-explorer.co.uk
Further reading
- Ian Tyler, Force Crag - The History of a Lakeland Mine, Blue Rock Publications / Red Earth. 121pp (out of print)
External links
- 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 horsehoe walk and history of mine , www.bbc.co.uk