Old Cumbria Gazetteer - Carrock Fell Mines, Mungrisdale

Carrock Fell Mines, Mungrisdale

Carrock Fell Mines

Carrock Mine

Carrock Tungsten Mine

Upper Brandy Gill Mine

locality:-

Carrock Fell

civil parish:-

Mungrisdale (formerly Cumberland)

county:-

Cumbria

locality type:-

tungsten mine

locality type:-

mine

locality type:-

copper mine

locality type:-

lead mine

locality type:-

mine

coordinates:-

NY32353306 (etc)

1Km square:-

NY3233

10Km square:-

NY33

references:-

Adams, John: 1988: Mines of the Lake District Fells: Dalesman Books (Lancaster, Lancashire):: ISBN 0 85206 931 6

BNY76.jpg Buildings.
(taken 15.8.2007)
photograph

BNY77.jpg Buildings.
(taken 15.8.2007)

evidence:-

probably old map:- Gents Mag 1747

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, perspective view, Caudbeck Fells ie Caldbeck Fells, scale about 1+ miles to 1 inch, published in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1747.

GM1407.jpg
"Copper Mines"

item:- Carlisle Library : Map 43
Image © Carlisle Library

evidence:-

probably old text:- Gents Mag 1747

source data:-

Map, perspective view, Caudbeck Fells ie Caldbeck Fells, scale about 1+ miles to 1 inch, and descriptive text, published in the Gentleman's Magazine, November 1747.

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Page 523:- "... Indeed in Brandlegill-beck, and the Northern descents, copper has been formerly dug, but the mines are long since worn out; hereabouts the lapis calaminaris is also found."

evidence:-

descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834)
item:- geology

source data:-

Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.

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Page 151:- "Carrock Fell consists of a rock generally referred to the class of sienite, varying its appearance in different parts of the mountain. It contains (besides the usual ingredients of quartz and felspar) hypersthene and magnetic or titaniferous iron ore in various proportions. Near this a considerable quantity of lead ore and some copper has been procured: the lead is smelted and refined hard by, and yields a good portion of silver."

evidence:-

old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913)
placename:- Wolfram Mine

source data:-

Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District Mining Field, Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by John Postlethwaite, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.

PST2NY33.jpg
"Wolfram Mine"
mine symbol
item:- JandMN : 162.2
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

mine plan:- Postlethwaite 1877
placename:- Carrock Mine

source data:-

Print, drawing, mine section, Section of Carrock Mine, Mungrisdale, Cumberland, scale about 1 to 1400, by WH, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.

click to enlarge
PST332.jpg
On p.131 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite.
printed, upper right "SECTION OF CARROCK MINE. / Workings in Wolfram bearing Vein a little West of Brandy Gill. / (In Grainsgill)."
printed, lower right "W.H"
item:- JandMN : 162.34
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913)
placename:-  Tungsten Mine
placename:-  Wolfram Mine
item:-  tungsten ore; wolframite; electric lamp; steel, tungsten; scheelite

source data:-

Book, Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite, Keswick, published by W H Moss and Sons, Whitehaven, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1877; published 1877-1913.

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page 130:- "THE TUNGSTEN OR WOLFRAM MINE."
"One of the most interesting features in the Caldbeck Fells area is the Carrock Tungsten, or Wolfram Mine, it embraces ten or more parallel veins running in a north and south direction, and a multitude of Tungsten bearing strings diverging at various angles. Most of these are exposed more or less on Coombe Height, and in Grainsgill, a tributary of the river Caldew. One of the most important of the veins was worked very early in Brandy Gill, indeed the author has in his possession a specimen of Wolfram"

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page 132:- "that was obtained there more than sixty years ago. A level was driven on the Brandy Gill vein about 100 fathoms, by Messrs. Emmerson &Co., but the vein was lost, and not recovered, although cross-cuts were driven for some distance east and west at right angles to the course of the vein, which is evidently small underground, but strong and very clearly defined on the surface, where it may be traced right over the fell."
"The metal Wolfram (Tungsteum or Wolframium) is comparatively rare, and is one of the heavy metals, having a specific gravity of 19.1, almost identical with gold, and it requires the intense heat of an electrical furnace for its fusion. In the early days it seems to have been mined almost for the sole purpose of manufacturing Tungstic acid, but in the progress and development of scientific discovery new uses have been found for it, which have increased the demand and largely enhanced its value. It is now largely used in the manufacture of very fine filaments for electric incandescent lamps, for which purpose it is peculiarly adapted owing to its infusibility, or great heat resisting power; it is also used as an alloy of steel."
"The chief minerals from which the metal is derived are Wolframite, an almost coal-black substance; and Scheelite, a yellow waxy mineral, both very heavy. They occur intercrystallized in white opaque quartz veins in the quartz-mica rock (Greisen) of Grainsgill. The rock is a peculiar modification of the Skiddaw Granite of which it is probably a changed condition produced by hydrothermal action. The Wolfram bearing veins also penetrate and are in contact with the cordierite mica schist and dolerite of that area, which is connected on the north with the igneous rocks of Carrock Fell."
"ANALYSIS OF WOLFRAM."

Tungstic Acid	78.77
Protoxide of Manganese	6.22
Protoxide of Iron	18.32
Silica	1.25

evidence:-

visit log:- KDMRS 1979-82
placename:-  Carrock Fell Wolfram Mine
placename:-  Carrock Mine
item:-  wolfram; quartz; mica; muscovite; iron pyrites; arsenic pyrites; scheelite

source data:-

Notes, log book of Geological Outings, mine plans, etc, Kendal and District Mine Research Society, Kendal area, Cumbria, etc, visits made 1979-82.
Geological Outing of the Kendal and District Mine Research Society
Log book page 2:- "DATE - SUNDAY 11/3/79 / MAP REF - NY33 3230 3280 / LOCATION - CARROCK FELL / NAME - CARROCK FELL WOLFRAM MINE / TYPE OF SITE - MINE / WORKING OR DISUSED - WORKING / PEOPLE IN PARTY [ ] / NOS. OF PHOTOS - No.4 / SPECIMENS FOUND - WOLFRAM WITH QUARTZ. LARGE PIECE APPROX 6[in]x6[in] WITH SOME MICA. QUARTZ CRYSTAL. APPROX 4[in] LONG X 3[in] WIDE. MICA. MUSCOVITE. IRON PYRITES ON QUARTZ. ARSENIC PYRITES ON QUARTZ & SOME PIECES OF SCHEELITE / COMMENTS - WENT INTO MINE AT 10.30 AM. SOME WATER ON FLOOR LEVEL, OTHER LEVELS WELL DRAINED. AT ONE POINT HOWEVER WATER CASCADES DOWN A 100 FT CLIMBING LADDER, THAT LEADS TO OTHER HIGHER LEVELS, EVERYONE GOT SOAKED. BUT IT WAS WORTH GETTING WET FOR SPECIMENS & KNOWLEDGE GAINED. WHILST IN ONE OF THE HIGHER LEVELS CHARGES WERE SET AND DETONATED, WITH MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS THAT SHOOK EVERYTHING &EVERYBODY. CAME OUT AT 1.00 PM. A GOOD DAY HAD BY ALL. THANKS TO [ ] FOR SHOWING US ROUND THE MINE WORKINGS."
item:- private collection : 82
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

mine drawing:- KDMRS 1979-82
placename:- Carrock Mine

source data:-

Geological Outing of the Kendal and District Mine Research Society to Carrock Fell Mines, Mungrisdale

BNY78.jpg Buildings.
(taken 15.8.2007)

CFJ83.jpg Wolframite.
(taken 23.8.2016) courtesy of Threlkeld Mining Museum

The mine exploited veins of tungsten; wolframite, WO3, magnanese iron tungstate, (Mn,Fe)WO3, and scheelite, calcium tungstate, CaWO4. They are located at the meet of Grainsgill Beck and Brandy Gill. The main veins were the Emerson Vein, Harding Vein and Smith Vein. Worked since the 1850s, when the price of tungsten is high; last worked 1981. There was some inconsequential lead and copper working in Upper Brandy Gill Mine in the 16th century. There is some arsenopyrite in the mine. This was the ?only productive tungsten mine in Britain, and much more ore remains under the hills.

Tungsten steels are very strong and had an essential use for armour in World War I. Tungsten carbide is used to make hard cutting tools, drills etc. Tungsten with its high melting point is the metal used in filament lamps.

Before World War I the mine was operated by Germans. One wag suggestec that the tungsten they extracted was returned to us in the Battle of the Somme.

: 2015 (?): Mines in Cumbria: Cumbria RIGS
Adams, John: 1988: Mines of the Lake District Fells: Dalesman Books (Lancaster, Lancashire):: ISBN 0 85206 931 6

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