# Tynbottom Lead Mine, Cumbria



## BigLoada (Dec 4, 2008)

Had a little jaunt up onto the moors to check out this old lead mine. Temperatures outside were about minus 5C and after taking over half an hour to do 5 miles of a high Pennines single track road that was like an ice rink, we finally found the location and were very pleased to get underground to where it was a bit warmer.

Its not a bad mine this and the bizarre rabbit-warren style construction and good combination of hard rock tunneling and some fine drystone pack walls, plus lots of cool mineralisation made it a nice 6 hour trip with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, both below and above the workings which we entered.

In from the main drivage we first come to a nice flooded chamber but not having taken wetsuits we didnt bother going further, and instead climbed up a rise to the workings above:









After a few deadends and more climbs, the flats branch out to some nice tunneling:














This was a first attempt at backlighting for me, something I havent done much of in photography but it was a relaxed day with plenty time for playing with cameras




















Classic drystone junction of two drivages:




















This was my favourite part, lots of lovely natural formations and fresh crotch-deep crystal clear water:


























And finally the roadway out where a natural spring forces its way into the mine:







Not a particularly big mine but lots of tunnels and workings to explore both below and above the main level.


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## shatters (Dec 4, 2008)

Another great post, I've just tried googling the place but came up with nowt. 

Is it another one near Nenthead ?

Phil


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## BigLoada (Dec 4, 2008)

shatters said:


> Another great post, I've just tried googling the place but came up with nowt.
> 
> Is it another one near Nenthead ?
> 
> Phil



No mate, not Nenthead, its not a well known one and its south of Alston in the middle of nowhere!


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## dave (Dec 4, 2008)

Nice pics and clever use of backlighting i must try this sometime.


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## Neosea (Dec 4, 2008)

You have some great water shots from there. Thanks


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## Foxylady (Dec 4, 2008)

Loads of interesting tunnels and chambers. Excellent pics, Lithium. Having a go at backlighting certainly paid off. Lovely stuff.


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## Morrisey (Dec 4, 2008)

The back lighting worked very well, cracking pics as usual.


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## Urban Shadow (Dec 5, 2008)

Fantastic shots mate, almost has a Lord of the Rings feel to it.


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## smiffy (Dec 5, 2008)

Thats a grand set of photos there mate..........also some very impressive stone walling has been done down in there over the years ! thanks !


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## brianpuddifer (Dec 5, 2008)

*I agree...*

Great place! Great lighting! Great Photos! 2nd one in, is my fav with Blue lighting. Bri


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## sqwasher (Dec 5, 2008)

Superb shots! Those backlighting ones are excellent-specially your fourth from last pic! Well done for trecking up there!


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## BigLoada (Dec 5, 2008)

brianpuddifer said:


> Great place! Great lighting! Great Photos! 2nd one in, is my fav with Blue lighting. Bri



It wasn't blue lighting mate, it was the standard LED lamp I use, but I think the autoWB got confused with the two tungsten lights in the tunnels and the LED light on the foreground.

Cheers for all the nice comments folks


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## Sabtr (Dec 5, 2008)

Excellent shots Lithium and hats off for pushing on and reaching it. I think slippery roads up there will be a feature for a few months now.


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## Pip (Dec 5, 2008)

Some really nice photos there Lithium  I'm curious though, having never been down a mine, do you see any kind of 'life' in the water of these mines? Or do you think it'd be too rich in minerals, too lacking in food, no light or whatever............ 


Pip


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## BigLoada (Dec 5, 2008)

Pip said:


> Some really nice photos there Lithium  I'm curious though, having never been down a mine, do you see any kind of 'life' in the water of these mines? Or do you think it'd be too rich in minerals, too lacking in food, no light or whatever............
> 
> 
> Pip



Only near the portals. We have found fish and frogs (weird yellow ones with black patches) The water is crystal clear, but most likely full of lead and zinc and other nasty stuff. An interesting find in this mine was hundreds of weird insects which were dead and hollow stuck to the walls, some of which were fused into the calcite, so they had been there a very long time as that stuff doesn't just build up overnight.

They looked like some kind of larvae, Sausage suggests that they are dragonfly larvae and I think he is correct. Here is two we found, the second one was 2 inches long:


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## infromthestorm (Dec 6, 2008)

Atmospheric shots lithium,makes me want to get off my butt and go underground,Respect


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## Logan_Five (Dec 15, 2008)

Good shots as always, BL.


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## BigLoada (Dec 15, 2008)

Logan_Five said:


> Good shots as always, BL.



Cheers maty! Good to see you still pop into the forum now and then. Hope the missus and the bairn are doing okay


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## Ogof_ (Dec 15, 2008)

You've got some first class photographs there, superb control over the lighting. Very nicely done indeed.

Mike


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## the|td4 (Dec 18, 2008)

Great shots !

I would squeal like a girl if I found any larvae in a hole.


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## BigLoada (Dec 18, 2008)

the|td4 said:


> Great shots !
> 
> I would squeal like a girl if I found any larvae in a hole.



Exactly what I did...there was hundreds of the


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