# Carrock Fell Mine, Cumbria, Oct 09



## Locksley (Oct 9, 2009)

Well, what a week! Just got back from the Lake District after an A Level Geology trip, it was fantastic. Anyway, on Thursday we stopped off at Carrock Fell Mine at Grainsgill to have a look round and took the opportunity to get some shots of the old mine buildings. 

Some history and info:



> Wolfram mining in Cumbria was only carried out on one site, Carrock Mine, situated in Grainsgill, a tributary of the River Caldew. Carrock was the only locality outside of Cornwall and Devon to have produced wolfram. Along with Castle-an-Dinas Mine, near St Austell in Cornwall, it was the only mine in the country where wolfram was the sole ore produced. Wolfram and scheelite are the chief ores of tungsten. The mine has worked spasmodically since 1854, but never for very long, as mining is only viable when the price of tungsten is at its peak. The last period of working finished in October 1981. The mine is situated in the steep sided valley of the Grainsgill Beck
> 
> The three principal veins, going from west to east, are the Smith Vein, the Harding Vein, and the Emerson Vein. These cross the beck at approximately 90 degrees, rendering the mine easily worked by a series of adit levels driven north and south into the valley sides. Ore from upper workings was scraped and tipped down a series of internal ore-passes into hoppers on the main adit level, and then run into tubs and hauled out of the mine to the mill. The country rock is competent and the majority of the stopes and levels are self-supporting. Only small quantities of timber were required where the levels pass through the overlying boulder clay.
> 
> ...



On with the pics:







The place is situated in practically the middle of nowhere






I believe that's part of the foundations for a coveyor or shute of some sorts


























Again, you see the remains of a conveyor











The remains of one of the hoppers




































The end of the line


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## crickleymal (Oct 9, 2009)

Locksley said:


>


If you have to go mining at least you'd have a view to look at (when it's not raining). 

Is there any access to the adits? I'm planning on doing a mining weekend or part of a week next summer and that lookslike a good place to go to.


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## borntobemild (Oct 9, 2009)

interesting stuff.

The rail track doesn't look like it leads anywhere !


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## Locksley (Oct 9, 2009)

crickleymal said:


> If you have to go mining at least you'd have a view to look at (when it's not raining).
> 
> Is there any access to the adits? I'm planning on doing a mining weekend or part of a week next summer and that lookslike a good place to go to.



I believe there is, in fact there are groups that do tours apparently. You can't see it in the pictures but one of the mineral veins has been completely dug out and I think that can be accessed, no idea how safe it is though.



borntobemild said:


> interesting stuff.
> 
> The rail track doesn't look like it leads anywhere !



Hah, true, it only went about 6 feet behind aswell.


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## superkev (Dec 2, 2009)

The Undertaker and myself paid a visit back in July, had a rather interesting day out by all acounts!

loads to see underground as well! 

well worth a trip below, but not alone and equipped with helmets and waders, water inside can sometimes be above knee level especially towards Waterfall vein!

Nice overground pics :spinny:


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## Evilgenius (Dec 3, 2009)

I was over that way last July, nice place I must say with top views.

Whilst in Windermere I went into a local camping shop that sold small pocket walking guides from walks 1 mile to 12 miles and one of the walks was through the coppermine valley in Coniston which if you look on a os map is littered with old mines. 

I highly reccomend the place and want to get back up there next year its just a hell of a drive.

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=11982&highlight=coniston


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