Research Projects

by Helen Wilkinson

Methods of Developing Mines

It is not, and probably never will be, definitively known when mining first began in this area, although the Romans were certainly present in the area and are known to have mined for lead in Derbyshire there is no direct evidence that they did so here. Earlier workings have been so extensively reworked by later enterprises that almost no trace of them survives.

As a matter of necessity the earliest workings would be where the vein outcropped to surface and was therefore discovered. The earliest workings were opencast scratchings on the veins at outcrop. One way of operating this kind of surface excavation was a by process known as hushing.

Hushing

This method was used both for prospecting and for mining and was in common use during the eighteenth century. Once an area of hillside was identified which was suspected to have potential, a dam and a series of water channels called leats were constructed. The leats collected water and channelled it into a reservoir behind the dam. The vegetation was then cleared from a strip of the hillside below the dam by hand and the stored water was then allowed to rush over the prepared section scouring away earth and loose rock. If a workable vein was found this method could be continued with where the outcrop of the vein ran down the valley side. The rock would first be loosened by hand and the strong flood of water would be allowed to wash the digging area, ore being sorted from broken rock at the foot of the hush.

This method of mining was not popular with downstream residents as it could cause floods at some distance from the working and by the beginning of the nineteenth century it had been superseded in this area.

There is plenty of evidence in the landscape for the practice of this technique by miners in the Pennines and many examples of both mining and prospecting hushes are still to be seen, some particularly obvious examples are Dowgang Hush Nenthead, Coldberry Gutter, Teesdale, and Cowhaust Hush near Killhope in Weardale all of which were production class.

There is a limit to how deep workings can go by this method when orebodies are of the vein type as found in this area, soon the amount of ‘dead’ rock which has to be moved in order to access the vein becomes too great to be economical. It then becomes necessary to turn to underground mining.

This is part of a series of projects, others are listed below:

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 1 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 3 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 4 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 5 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 6 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 7 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 8 of 9)

Lead Mining Technology in the Northern Pennines from early times to 1900 (Part 9 of 9)

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