Mining in the Weardale


Traces of mining near Rookhope.
Since the Middle Ages, perhaps even since Roman times, people have been exploiting the mineral wealth of the Weardale in the north of England. In addition to enduring the hard labour in mines and quarries, the miner-farmers had to turn the poor soil of the moors and valleys into farmland to make ends meet.

For more than eight centuries, lead, fluorite, silver and other minerals were excavated, which affected both man and nature and scarred the landscape deeply. You have to look carefully in order to see the evidence of geological processes and the traces of mining.

The authors take you on a quest for the remains of human activity and influence on the harsh beauty of the landscape, indicating points of interest for fossil and mineral collectors.

For those fairly fluent in German, detailed information can be gained from a book by the authors, published in 2015. At a moderate amount to cover expenses it can be obtained via Mail.

An abstract of the contents can be found below:

Der Bergbau im Weardale - eine Spurensuche

(Traces of Mining in the Weardale)