Keldheads Lead Mine, Yorkshire. Aug 2011

[Judderman62]

The History

There has been lead mining in this area since the 1200's with the ruins that currently remain dating
back to the 1800's. The complex - lead smelting mill and mine - was built in 1840 and extended
in 1855.

The smelting flue was 2 miles in length and believed to have been the longest in the world at the time.

A document dated 1890 states that a mine was opened here by the Darwen mining co, but after a short
while the works were closed. The rights were then bought by the Keld heads co, in 1844, who recommenced
mining on the site. The company was owned by a Thomas Dymond Esq with John Ascough being
the company's manager.

There were three shafts ranging from 20 to 80 fathoms deep. At this time the lead market was not in a
good state and this was a small operation with an output of around 100 tons a year.

The Visit

I was away in the dales for 4 nights and this was one of several places I'd wanted to see.
On my 1st visit it was peeing down rather a lot so I did not get the cameras out. However Friday night
I found I had some time left and the weather was wonderful so I decided to head back there.

The Photos

There was also this entrance to a tunnel

However as many of you will know I don't do tunnels and I don't do underground so
that's the end of the report












or is it ?

Well it would've been rude not too wouldn't it ?

I got about 350/400 yds before it was blocked off by rubble n stuff to an extent that a younger, fitter and MUCH slimmer
person would have probably been able to go on but not myself.



​

 

[WinchItIn]

Nice find fella, well worth venturing in the tunnel as the pic's look great.

 

[Judderman62]

thanks... yeah it was quite cool going down the tunnel actually

 

[urban phantom]

Nice one judderman loved it thanks

 

[Janey68]

That was good. Great tunnel pics

 

[TeeJF]

That tunnel is something! It looks like it was constructed with roughly dressed stone blocks rather than say brickwork... how odd.

 

[Wallsey]

The tunnel is actually the entrance which eventually leads to the area where the lead would be mined from, usually going down sometimes hundreds of feet down to different levels.

 

[Judderman62]

thanks peeps I quite enjoyed this place

 

[Tomoco]

I like this, nice report & great pics

 

[ssp88]

great find & great pics, not sure i would have gone that far down the tunnel myslef

 

[Blakethwaite]

I got about 350/400 yds before it was blocked off by rubble n stuff to an extent that a younger, fitter and MUCH slimmer
person would have probably been able to go on but not myself.


​

Don't worry, blocked almost immediately after that. If you can be bothered looking there's an old newspaper article online somewhere about trying to reopen it. Can't remember which rag unfortunately.

 

[smiler]

Nice One J, I was getting quite hissed off with your post when you wrote that you didn’t do tunnels, I thought that that the pic of the entrance was all we were going to get, and yes that would have been damned rude, Good Report and Great Pics, Thanks. Those nettles looked nasty.

 

[Pincheck]

interesting bud, seen a similar chimney not that long ago, but that belonged to a old mill nice find