A couple more sandstone mines/quarries, near some lead mines on the north side of Wensleydale.
These are both fairly well know, being on public footpaths although you won’t find many underground pictures - two for Stags Fell seems to be it (one on AditNow and one on Geograph).
I haven’t found much explicit history, but like Burtersett on the other side of the valley, these probably reached peak production towards the end of the 1800s after trains arrived in Hawes (then left again in 1959).
None of the underground sections are particularly long, about 50 yards or less.
Stags Fell. This is one of the more obvious signs of past industry in Wensleydale, visible as a long line of waste tips above the tree line when viewed from the valley.
Satellite view.
Old maps show it as an opencast quarry in 1854, with up to seven levels (adits/tunnels) indicated by 1910.
Stone from here was apparently used for Manchester’s Victoria Station.
Roofing ‘slates’ were also produced until the 1930s, known as ‘Hadraw Slates’ after the nearest hamlet.
Starting at the northern end, people have been having fun making little piles of rock.
The hill in the distance is Wether Fell, where the previously reported mines are located.
Heading down the first hole, it’s standard sandstone mine with waste rock everywhere.
A collapse forces a crawl round a bend - this is looking back…
…and on into the usual Jenga-like maze.
The second hole is similar but without the crawl.
Back out.
The next few levels seem to be blocked - a tramway probably ran along here.
The only other open level is one of the oldest and shortest, rapidly becoming quite low.
Another level is shown further east round the hill, near the trees in the distance but that was blocked as well.
continued
These are both fairly well know, being on public footpaths although you won’t find many underground pictures - two for Stags Fell seems to be it (one on AditNow and one on Geograph).
I haven’t found much explicit history, but like Burtersett on the other side of the valley, these probably reached peak production towards the end of the 1800s after trains arrived in Hawes (then left again in 1959).
None of the underground sections are particularly long, about 50 yards or less.
Stags Fell. This is one of the more obvious signs of past industry in Wensleydale, visible as a long line of waste tips above the tree line when viewed from the valley.
Satellite view.
Old maps show it as an opencast quarry in 1854, with up to seven levels (adits/tunnels) indicated by 1910.
Stone from here was apparently used for Manchester’s Victoria Station.
Roofing ‘slates’ were also produced until the 1930s, known as ‘Hadraw Slates’ after the nearest hamlet.
Starting at the northern end, people have been having fun making little piles of rock.
The hill in the distance is Wether Fell, where the previously reported mines are located.
Heading down the first hole, it’s standard sandstone mine with waste rock everywhere.
A collapse forces a crawl round a bend - this is looking back…
…and on into the usual Jenga-like maze.
The second hole is similar but without the crawl.
Back out.
The next few levels seem to be blocked - a tramway probably ran along here.
The only other open level is one of the oldest and shortest, rapidly becoming quite low.
Another level is shown further east round the hill, near the trees in the distance but that was blocked as well.
continued
