Another walk up a valley in Cumbria.
I’ve looked at several mines near the start of the Newlands Valley but this time carried on to Dale Head at the top.
Here there are some ancient copper mines, just over the hill from a number of slate mines (Kimberley & Honiston, Yew Crag and Rigghead).
The copper mines consist of Elizabethan era open workings on the valley floor (St. Thomas’ Work and Long Work) with a few other tunnels up the face of Dale Head.
There are very few pictures available, but according to Historic England “Dale Head…is a rare example of an 18th century copper mine which has remained untouched since abandonment”.
Most of the information below comes from CATMHS expeditions in the 1980s.
The weather was variable and very windy - pictures are a mixture of phone and camera.
Heading up the valley with Dale Head centre right.
Spoil heap and adit near Newlands Beck. This short (ca 100 yard) tunnel was driven to drain the older Long Work open workings behind.
The righthand branch soon leads to a blockage with half a ladder leading to a space above - I didn’t try to climb up since the stuff on the left looked dubious.
I later found a plan showing the space as a worked-out chamber without anything shown leading off.
The lefthand branch goes on a bit then stops.
Part of the Long Work excavations (flooded) which I walked past on the way up to the next level near Far Tongue Gill.
This one seems to have been a trial and only went in about 50 yards.
Further up the hill is the remains of an ore processing area and a ruin.
A bit further up in a craggy bit is another level, about 200 yards long with a stream pouring out.
This one was interesting because it had a wooden tramway with the remains of iron strips on top of the rails.
I stopped at the point where a rockfall was damming the stream because the roof was looking dodgy - it seems to go on a bit further though.
Now up to the highest level(s), at the top of the streak of waste.
However this was blocked by scree - I spent about 20 mins lobbing out rocks but wasn’t really getting anywhere and the rubble above kept sliding down into my hole.
When this was dug out in the 1980s a tunnel about 160 yards long was found, with old rails and a connection to a higher level.
Finally up to the top of Dale Head for lunch, with a view back down the valley.
The ‘Newlands Round’ is a circular walk around these ridges which seems to be popular.
More interestingly, from here you can see several other mines in the valley - Castlenook, Goldscope and Yewthwaite (almost).
I’ve looked at several mines near the start of the Newlands Valley but this time carried on to Dale Head at the top.
Here there are some ancient copper mines, just over the hill from a number of slate mines (Kimberley & Honiston, Yew Crag and Rigghead).
The copper mines consist of Elizabethan era open workings on the valley floor (St. Thomas’ Work and Long Work) with a few other tunnels up the face of Dale Head.
There are very few pictures available, but according to Historic England “Dale Head…is a rare example of an 18th century copper mine which has remained untouched since abandonment”.
Most of the information below comes from CATMHS expeditions in the 1980s.
The weather was variable and very windy - pictures are a mixture of phone and camera.
Heading up the valley with Dale Head centre right.
Spoil heap and adit near Newlands Beck. This short (ca 100 yard) tunnel was driven to drain the older Long Work open workings behind.
The righthand branch soon leads to a blockage with half a ladder leading to a space above - I didn’t try to climb up since the stuff on the left looked dubious.
I later found a plan showing the space as a worked-out chamber without anything shown leading off.
The lefthand branch goes on a bit then stops.
Part of the Long Work excavations (flooded) which I walked past on the way up to the next level near Far Tongue Gill.
This one seems to have been a trial and only went in about 50 yards.
Further up the hill is the remains of an ore processing area and a ruin.
A bit further up in a craggy bit is another level, about 200 yards long with a stream pouring out.
This one was interesting because it had a wooden tramway with the remains of iron strips on top of the rails.
I stopped at the point where a rockfall was damming the stream because the roof was looking dodgy - it seems to go on a bit further though.
Now up to the highest level(s), at the top of the streak of waste.
However this was blocked by scree - I spent about 20 mins lobbing out rocks but wasn’t really getting anywhere and the rubble above kept sliding down into my hole.
When this was dug out in the 1980s a tunnel about 160 yards long was found, with old rails and a connection to a higher level.
Finally up to the top of Dale Head for lunch, with a view back down the valley.
The ‘Newlands Round’ is a circular walk around these ridges which seems to be popular.
More interestingly, from here you can see several other mines in the valley - Castlenook, Goldscope and Yewthwaite (almost).
