320 Backhouse : Lead Mining- in ) 'orks/iiiw 



mine at a time wlu'ii the market price was very low was the 

 cause of closure. 



This mine, along" with several others, was closed down 

 during^ the last decade of the century. Continuing- southward, 

 in Nidderdale about thirty separate mines have been wrought, 

 those on Greenhow Hill beings once among- the oldest and most 

 productive in the North of Eng^land ; Cockhill Level (Greenhow) 

 branched into maiiy miles of levels, from which a g-reat weig-ht 

 of lead was taken ; yet the supply is by no means exhausted, 

 for the Bradford Corporation, when recenll}- making their pipe 

 track across Greenhow Moor, cut a very larg^e vein of ore. Mr. 

 Joseph Craddock, J. P., of Stockton-on-Tees, still works at 

 Lolly Scar and Blayshaw Gill Mines in this area. 



Wharfedale contributed enormously in the middle of last 

 century from some twelve or fifteen mines, of which Grassing-ton 

 Moor Mine was by far the most important. They were closed 

 some thirty years ag-o. 



Of Airedale but little need be written, for, with the exception 

 of the g-reat Cononley Mine, there were only a few lesser trials. 



In the last area, that of Ribblesdale, three mines were 

 worked, namely, at Rimmington (Skelhorn), and three in the 

 Bolland district near Slaidburn. 



Skelhorn Mine was worked centuries ago, and was rich in 

 silver, like many of the Yorkshire Mines. 



So far as can be ascertained, there are possibilities for 

 future enterprise in nearly all the areas mentioned, but Pros- 

 pectors will do well to observe the causes which led to the 

 close of the various workingfs before. Briefly they are as 

 follows : — 



(rt) The continued low price of lead, largvly inHuenced by 

 Spanish importation. 



{b) The system of the remuneration of the miners (lu-nisehes 

 having been changed from the ' bing system' to the 'fathom 

 system.' 



(c) The spirit of mine speculation in the worst sense of the 

 term, whereby the mines were bought up and floated for the 

 sake of immediate gains from their flotation. 



{(I) The fact that landlords in many districts purposely put 

 difficulties in the way of miners on account of the value of their 

 lands for grouse-rearing, and because of llu' pt)l!utioM of tiiuir 

 rivers owing to the lead-washing. 



Naturalist, 



