Report - Wensleydale Lead Mines 1 - Wet Grooves (Yorkshire, 2022)

[urbanchemist]

Some of the mineralised faults in Swaledale extend through the hills on the south side of the valley, re-emerging on the north side of Wensleydale.

Wet Grooves is one of the lead mines which exploited these faults, working veins which pass through the Oxnop Ghyll/Summer Lodge/Beezy Hill area.
The name apparently comes from ‘groove’, the old name for a mine, because early excavations looked like grooves in the surface.

This area has been mined for a long time, with evidence of primitive smelting in the 11th century, followed by shafts and then horizontal tunnels (levels).
The local geology is quite complex, with several veins containing a mixture of linear and clumpy deposits.
Like most lead mines in the Pennines it eventually closed in the late 1800s.

It’s moderately well known - a footpath runs through the site and there are a few pictures of one of the tunnels on AditNow.
The map below shows five entrances along the stream at the bottom of an escarpment (Haw Bank).

Most of them seemed to be collapsed - the only thing at I found at the eastern end was a small culvert under an area where ore was processed.

However the Haw Bank Level (ca 1756), the main drainage level in the middle, was open.

A slightly awkward sideways insertion leads into a watery vestibule.

The left branch didn’t go far, but straight on went a fair distance through downwards sloping strata, ending in a flooded section.

This bit eventually became too deep for waders.

So back out, with signs of rails here and there.

Further round to the west is another entrance, Disher Force or Aythwaite End Level (pre 1772) which drained higher workings on Eller Beck.
Waste tip stretching away from the entrance.

This one died almost immediately.

On top of Haw Bank is a slight depression with the Wet Grooves Level (1859, also called the Knott Level).
Fluorite was extracted from the waste in this area from 1959 to the early 1970s and the remains of the flotation plant can still be seen.

Ore bin with the level behind.

The front section of the portal has collapsed, but the keystone is preserved in the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes (more interesting than it sounds since mining was an important local industry).

Heading in, there isn’t a great deal to see - it’s a typical stripped out lead mine where the ore was found in clumps (flats/flots) leaving a series of interconnected voids.

The mineral collectors have been busy but there are still traces of ore.

The most entertaining part was a small shaft which corkscrews down.
Near the top looking back up.

Feeling a bit like Alice down the rabbit hole…

…down…

…before stopping at the edge of this more vertical section.

The mine plan shows a small network of tunnels below connecting to the drainage level.
A nice lump of amber fluorite on the way back up.

continued

 

[urbanchemist]

Next door is a chunk of rock called ‘The Knot’ which has a lot of excavated holes.
This is apparently one of the oldest areas, a section of the limestone layer above which subsided and became mineralized.

Heading uphill to the next shelf, a distant view of hushed areas on Eller Beck.

There are various lumps and bumps up here from waterworks and older excavations, including this blocked level.

Up a bit further is the Thackthwaite Level, driven at a similar time as the Wet Grooves/Knott Level.
Ore bins and processing area outside the entrance.

This one goes quite a long way.

Branches left and right which I didn’t investigate.

And on.

Shaft

Looking up at a worked-out area.

And on through a variety of partial blockages...

..until complete collapse up ahead on the right.

Light at the end of the trudge back out.

Heading back down, a pretty limekiln planter.

Since I was there I recce’d the Woodhall mine which is nearby, west of the Wet Grooves level on the same contour.
It operated at the same time although I haven’t found much more about it.
A level turned out to be open and a phone picture shows it continuing past a partial blockage - but I’d had enough of damp holes by then and left it.

Finally descending to the road, a picture of the water turbine next to Disher Force, a waterfall on Eller Beck.

This is fairly well known since it’s next to the footpath - see tigger’s recent post for more pictures and background.

Report - - Hydro turbine - Wensleydale - January 2023 | Industrial Sites

Towards the end of a 20 mile walk in the rain, dropping back down into the valley a nice reward. Small scale hydro-electric plants are not new. For the wealthy or people who liked their toys they were a must have during the late 1800s. By 1900 they were much more common and wealthy landowners...

www.28dayslater.co.uk

If you like water turbines there are several more nearby.
The oldest of three in Gayle Mill near Hawes is on the left, and one in Farfield Mill near Sedbergh on the right (both mills are tourist places).

There are also two more big Gilkes in Yore Mill just down the road in Aysgarth.