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Greenburn Mine, Coniston
Greenburn Mine
New Coniston Mine
Great Coniston Mine
site name:-   Greenburn Beck
locality:-   Greenburn
civil parish:-   Coniston (formerly Lancashire)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   copper mine
locality type:-   mine
coordinates:-   NY290022
1Km square:-   NY2902
10Km square:-   NY20
references:-   Adams, John: 1988: Mines of the Lake District Fells: Dalesman Books (Lancaster, Lancashire):: ISBN 0 85206 931 6

photograph
CCY06.jpg (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
BTU47.jpg (taken 10.11.2010)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 80) 
placename:-  Greenburn Copper Mine
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
OS County Series (Lan 1) 
"Greenburn Copper Mine &Works"
evidence:-   old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) 
placename:-  Greenburn Mine
item:-  copper ore; Long Crag Vein; Pave York Vein; Gossan Vein; Sump Vein; Low Gill Vein
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.
image PST3p119, button  goto source
page 119:-  "GREENBURN MINE"
"Is situated on the southern side of Greenburn Beck, about 2½ miles north of Coniston. There are five veins in this mine, namely, the Long Crag, Pave York, Gossan, Sump, and Low Gill veins. The mine was opened about 65 years ago, and since that time it has been worked extensively by Messrs. John Crossfield &Co., and other proprietors. Two shafts were sunk on the Sump vein, about 30 fathoms apart, one to a depth of 35, and the other 120 fathoms from the surface. The western shaft was sunk on a run of ore from 20 to 30 fathoms in length, and about 40 fathoms in depth, and which dipped rapidly to the west. The engine shaft was sunk in a similar run of ore to a depth of about 50 fathoms, but below that point the orey ground was chiefly on the eastern side of the shaft, and few of the remaining levels were extended more than a few fathoms westward."
"About £25,000 worth of copper pyrites has been obtained from the Sump vein, and a considerable quantity of oxide of copper from the Pave York vein; the latter was obtained by precipitation, the precipitate yielding from 50 to 60 per cent. of copper."
evidence:-   old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) 
placename:-  Greenburn 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.
image
PST2NY30.jpg
"Greenburn Mine"
mine symbol 
item:-  JandMN : 162.2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   mine plan:- Postlethwaite 1877
placename:-  Greenburn Mine
source data:-   Print, drawing, mine section, Section of Greenburn Mine, Coniston, Cumberland, scale about 1 to 2900, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.
image  click to enlarge
PST329.jpg
On p.120 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. 
printed, lower left  "SECTION OF GREENBURN MINE. / Scale: 40 fms to 1 inch."
item:-  JandMN : 162.31
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) 
placename:-  Greenburn Mine
item:-  copper ore; Long Crag Vein; Pave York Vein; Gossan Vein; Sump Vein; Low Gill Vein
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.
image PST3p119, button  goto source
page 119:-  "GREENBURN MINE"
"Is situated on the southern side of Greenburn Beck, about 2½ miles north of Coniston. There are five veins in this mine, namely, the Long Crag, Pave York, Gossan, Sump, and Low Gill veins. The mine was opened about 65 years ago, and since that time it has been worked extensively by Messrs. John Crossfield &Co., and other proprietors. Two shafts were sunk on the Sump vein, about 30 fathoms apart, one to a depth of 35, and the other 120 fathoms from the surface. The western shaft was sunk on a run of ore from 20 to 30 fathoms in length, and about 40 fathoms in depth, and which dipped rapidly to the west. The engine shaft was sunk in a similar run of ore to a depth of about 50 fathoms, but below that point the orey ground was chiefly on the eastern side of the shaft, and few of the remaining levels were extended more than a few fathoms westward."
"About £25,000 worth of copper pyrites has been obtained from the Sump vein, and a considerable quantity of oxide of copper from the Pave York vein; the latter was obtained by precipitation, the precipitate yielding from 50 to 60 per cent. of copper."
evidence:-   old map:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) 
placename:-  Greenburn 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.
image
PST2NY30.jpg
"Greenburn Mine"
mine symbol 
item:-  JandMN : 162.2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   mine plan:- Postlethwaite 1877
placename:-  Greenburn Mine
source data:-   Print, drawing, mine section, Section of Greenburn Mine, Coniston, Cumberland, scale about 1 to 2900, published by W H Moss and Sons, 13 Lowther Street, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1877 edn 1913.
image  click to enlarge
PST329.jpg
On p.120 of Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite. 
printed, lower left  "SECTION OF GREENBURN MINE. / Scale: 40 fms to 1 inch."
item:-  JandMN : 162.31
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   mine drawing:- KDMRS 1979-82
placename:-  Greenburn Mine
source data:-   Geological Outing of the Kendal and District Mine Research Society to Greenburn Mine, Coniston
image  click to enlarge
KMR25.jpg
"GREENBURN MINE"
item:-  private collection : 82
Image © see bottom of page

photograph
CCY04.jpg  .. and the incline from Pave York Lead Mine.
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY03.jpg  Shaft,
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY05.jpg  Level,
Shaft,
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY07.jpg (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY08.jpg (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY09.jpg (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY10.jpg  Office and smithy; across the beck is the powder store.
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY11.jpg  Office and smithy
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY12.jpg  Office and smithy
(taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY13.jpg  Inscription:-
"J W C / 1876" (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
CCY14.jpg  Inscription:-
"[ ] 18[ ]" (taken 22.4.2015)  
photograph
BTU50.jpg (taken 10.11.2010)  
photograph
BTU48.jpg (taken 10.11.2010)  
photograph
BTU49.jpg (taken 10.11.2010)  
photograph
 Click to enlarge
BTU46.jpg (taken 10.11.2010)  
photograph
BOD11.jpg (taken 3.9.2007)  
:-  
 South bank of Greenburn Beck. Probably started 1840s; last worked about 1917.
Low Gill Lode, Sump Lode, Gossan Lode, Pave York Lode, and Long Crag Lode, accessed by several workings.

Adams, John: 1988: Mines of the Lake District Fells: Dalesman Books (Lancaster, Lancashire):: ISBN 0 85206 931 6
:-  
 Some of the workings date to about 1650. Major works date from about 1873. It is possible to trace shafts and levels, water wheel pits, dressing floors, office and bothy, powder store, etc.

Tyler, Ian: 2006: Lakes and Cumbria Mines Guide
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