Old Cumbria Gazetteer - bloomery, Borrowdale


	bloomery, Borrowdale
site name:-	Smithymire Island
locality:-	Langstrath
civil parish:-	Borrowdale (formerly Cumberland)
county:-	Cumbria
locality type:-	bloomery
coordinates:-	NY27371301 (about)
1Km square:-	NY2713
10Km square:-	NY21

evidence:-	perhaps descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821)
source data:-	Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821. goto source Page 103:- "..." "Just where the road begins to ascend the Stake [from the Borrowdale side], are said to be the remains of a bloomery, close by the water-fall on the left; but no tradition relates at what time it was last worked. This I could never verify from any visible remains. The mineral was found in the mountain, and the wood used in smelting had covered their steep sides. The masses of iron found on Castle-crag were probably smelted here. ..."

evidence:-	old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913) item:- iron ore; haematite
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. goto source page 127:- "... a furnace was in operation in Langstrath, a valley which lies between Langdale and Borrowdale; and judging from the mound of slag, charcoal, &c., yet remaining, there has no doubt been a considerable quantity of ore smelted there. The ore was brought to this furnace from Ewer Gap (ore gap), a depression, or gap, between Hanging Knot and Bow Fell, the northern end of which is almost" goto source page 128:- "directly above the head of Langstrath valley. There is a very large deposit of haematite ore at this point, but being at an elevation of 2,500 feet above the level of the sea, its position has been regarded as almost inaccessible for mining operations; but an extension of the Eskdale Railway and the construction of an inclined tramway to the southern end of Ewer Gap may at some time place it within reach of the furnaces. There are two veins, one on each side of Yeasty Rigg Gill, at the southern end of the gap, each of them about 50 feet wide; the bearing of the western vein is a few degrees west of south and east of north; and of the eastern one a little to the east of south and west of north; these unite at the entrance to the gap. The deposit of haematite in the gap is of the finest quality, a considerable portion of it being kidney ore."

hearsay:-	Used by the monks of Furness Abbey; iron ore from their mine at Ure Gap, Bowfell was brought down Langstrath to the island where wood fuel was available.

Lakes Guides menu.