Force Crag Mine

Force Crag Mine

I’ve mentioned our work at Force Crag Mine a few times now so I thought I’d tell you a bit more about it.  It is situated in a superb, wild position at the head of Coledale Valley above Braithwaite village and was the last working mine in the Lake District.  Between 1839 and its closure in 1991, it was mined firstly for lead ore and then for zinc and barytes.  Over its lifetime there has also been a significant amount of silver extracted.  Now it is a SSSI (site of special scientific interest) and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Force Crag Mine and Braithwaite in distance

The buildings that you can see today contain the ore-refining machinery that was being used until it closed. It is the most complete collection of processing equipment of its kind in the country. The National Trust now owns the site and there are several guided open days per year for visitors.  This is one reason we are working to find the best way to clean up the contaminated water that flows from the mine.

Mine buildings and water outflow

On Thursday April 28^th, from 10.30 am until 3.30 pm you can join a guided tour to explore the mill. For details and to check dates of other open days contact the National Trust, Borrowdale on 017687 74649.

This week the Mountain Rescue Team had a slightly unusual call-out.  Max, a collie, had fallen 30 metres into Cat Ghyll Ravine.  In the words of Max's owners, "The two team members who walked up to where we were waiting went out of their way to keep us informed.  The other two who walked up the stream bed to rescue Max, also showed great dedication.  They not only carried a wet and bedraggled Max back down the stream but were also kind enough to carry him back to their vehicle."  We eventually had email to tell us that "After a lot of sleeping, he is walking around, albeit rather slowly and stiffly and we are hopeful for him making a complete recovery."