650 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 



summary of our Imowleclg'e of early mining in the country, does not attempt to 

 define any special area or set of mines. More recently Mr. Stephen Eddy has 

 ■written upon the ' Lead Mining Districts of Yorkshire,' mostly from a geological 

 standpoint, and where statistics are given they are of great value. 



For many years Yorkshire held a most important place as a lead-producing 

 district, and it is probable that during the palmy days of the industiy at least 

 three thousand persons were employed, directly or indirectly, in lead mining in 

 the county. To-day there are probably not more than twenty-five all told ! 



It is clearly proved that lead has been mined for many centuries in Yorkshire, 

 not only in Eoman, but in Brigantean times. Pigs of lead can be shown, found 

 in Yorkshire, bearing the Roman impress. In the ' baile,' or * bole-hills,' and prob- 

 ably in one or two drifts and shafts, we have evidence of Brigantean working ; 

 some of it possibly dating back earlier than the Roman invasion. 



In many districts tradition points to Roman mining, but evidence is not 

 forthcoming to show whether these conquerors actually mined it themselves or 

 whether they begged, borrowed, or stole it from the subjugated tribes. 



From those times, however, through what we may call the early documentary 

 period, lead was mined more or less systematically in Yorkshire, often in large 

 quantities, and there can be no doubt also to large profit. 



But we have to deal especially with the lead mining of the nineteenth century, 

 and to consider briefly to what extent the industry has been carried on in recent 

 times. 



The actual area in which lead has been mined in Yorkshire may be taken as 

 about one-sixth of the entire county, and is situated in the North and West 

 Ridings, in the mountainous regions towards the head waters of rivers— the Tees 

 (where it divides Yorks from Durham and Westmorland), the Yorks Lune. the 

 Swale and its great tributary Arkle Beck, the Ure, the Nidd, the Wharfe, the 

 Aire, and the Ribble. Taking these districts seriatmi, commencing in the north, 

 we find that the Tees area contained some thirteen or fourteen distinct mines ; 

 none worked since about 1870, Lunedale had about half a dozen, one of which, 

 that known as Lunehead, was extensive, and has been reopened recently. For 

 the next two areas — those of Arkengartbdale and Swaledale — it is impossible at 

 the moment to register any definite niimber, but they may be said to have run 

 into hundreds at one time or another. 



Two especially, Hurst Mine, in Arkengartbdale, and that at Old Gang, in 

 Swaledale, wei-e notorious for centuries, and the output from them was 

 enormous. 



From the latter mine it is said that at one time, about the middle of the 

 nineteenth century, some 3,000 tons per annum were produced. At Hurst the 

 Romans are said to have had a penal settlement, and lead was probably mined 

 there, not only by them, but who shall say how long before ? Now Hurst is 

 grim and desolate like the ' Deserted Village,' though the hills still cover ' 

 thoiisands of tons of rich ore, which twentieth-century enterprise may yet acquire. 

 Old Gang, in Swaledale, is still kept going, but is gradually becoming worked 

 out ; though there can be little doubt that many other veins in its proximity 

 may be worked to profit at to-day's selling price if facilities for carriage wei'e 

 provided. 



^ In Wensleydale, over the ridge southward we find at least forty distinct 

 mines, and some of these were very remunerative, notably that of Keld Heads, 

 near Wensley. Flooding of the mine at a time when the market price was very 

 low was the caiise 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 being once among the oldest and 

 most productive in the North of England ; Cockhill Level (Greenhow) branched 

 into many miles of levels, from which a great weight of lead was taken ; yet the 

 supply is by no means exhausted, for the Bradford Corporation, when recently 

 making their pipe track across Greenhow Moor, ciit a very large vein of ore. 

 Mr. Joseph Cradock, J.P., of Stockton-on-Tees, still works at Lolly Sc^r anJ 

 Blayshaw Gill Mines in this area. 



