Research Projects
Lead Mining in County Durham
by Robert Bell
Lead Mines were most likely worked in the upper valleys of the Wear and Tees in Roman times. Records show that Lead has been mined for certain since the twelfth century. In the first half of the nineteenth century when Britain was the worlds leading producer, Weardale and Teesdale were the chief centres of lead mining. Till this day, they are commonly called the Lead Dales.
The Bishops of Durham were Landowners in Weardale and Teesdale, also the Bowes family, (ancestors to the Queen Mother). Most of the major deposits were known by the sixth century. It was in the eighteenth century two companies dominated lead production in the Dales.
The first was The London Company known as Quaker Company who began taking out expensive leases in Weardale but its main activity was in Teesdale and its headquarters in Middleton-in-Teesdale and second was the Blackett-Beaumont Co.whose headquarters were based in Newhouse and operated in Weardale. Knowledge was gained by these companies from the Durham Coalfield.
A tunnel at Rookhope in the mid nineteenth century extended for nearly two miles over the Moors.
Digitised by Dru Trenholm
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