|
|
|
Page 130:-
who visit the vale of Keswick, and view its lake from
Castle-rigg, Latrig, Swinside, and the vicarage, imagine
inaccessible mountains only remain beyond the line of this
amazing tract. But whoever takes a ride up Newland vale [1], will
be agreeably surprised with some of the finest solemn pastoral
scenes they have
|
|
|
|
[1]
Here, in a hill called Gold-scope, are the remains of a famous
ancient copper-mine, which exhibit some curious excavations,
called the Pen-holes. One shaft, reaching from the top of the
hill to the bottom (into which, if a large stone be let fall, it
occasions a most tremendous noise) is met by a level passage, cut
quite through the mountain, along which a stream of water (from
Bank-beck) was conveyed to turn a draining wheel, at its meeting
with the shaft.
These mines were wrought in Henry 8th's time, and some of the
succeeding reigns. But the metal yielding a considerable quantity
of gold, they came to be considered as royal mines, and
occasioned a dispute between the crown and the duke of Somerset,
then lord of the manor, and a discontinuance of the works. In
1757, Mr. Gilbert and company drained them to the very bottom, at
the expense of about 100l. but did not find the metal such, or so
plentiful, as to encourage them to proceed on at so prodigious a
depth.
X.
|
