| Summary : A spalling floor and possible site of a crushing mill at Greenburn Mine. Field investigations by English Heritage in 2000 identified a massive stone-built platform 6.5 metres high, constructed at some time between 1848 and 1861 to support the mine's main spalling floor. The floor held one stone-built building, now in ruinous condition, which probably originated as a timber structure, covering a set of 'grates'. It also probably held a large timber shed, perhaps roofed in corrugated iron, which provided cover for those involved in breaking up the lumps of ore by hand. Both these structures, as well as the platform itself, are shown on a schematic plan thought to have been made before 1861, which is now held in Cumbria Record Office. Until circa 1885, most ore arrived at the floor by hand-pushed tramway from Engine Shaft (NY 20 SE 13). Once broken into fist-sized pieces the ore could by fed into a crushing mill on the level below, powered by a large water wheel (NY 20 SE 37). The mine went out of use circa 1885, but the spalling floor was evidently used again when activity recommenced in 1906-8 and 1912-3. In this phase, ore was transported from the middle level on the Pave York Vein via an inclined tramway (respectively NY 20 SE 18 and 27). A stone-built chute was constructed to take processed ore down to two precipitation tanks at the base of the platform, which implies that some form of crushing mill may have been sited on the platform at this time. |
More information : Between mid September and late November 2000, English Heritage carried out an analytical field investigation of the surface remains of Greenburn Mine; the survey was requested and partly funded by the landowners, the National Trust (Event record 1335820) (1). The best-preserved building, which comprises an accommodation block, office and workshop (NY 20 SE 9) serves as a parent record for the other components of the complex.
A massive stone-built platform some 6.5m high was constructed at some point between 1848 and 1861 to support the mine's main spalling floor. The floor held one stone-built building (now in ruinous condition), which probably originated as a timber structure, covering a set of 'grates'. It also probably held a large timber shed, perhaps roofed in corrugated iron, which provided cover for those involved in breaking up the lumps of ore by hand. Both these structures, as well as the platform itself, are shown on a schematic plan thought to have been made before 1861, which is now held in Cumbria Record Office. Until c.1885, most ore arrived at the floor by hand-pushed tramway from Engine Shaft (NY 20 SE 13). Once broken into fist-sized pieces the ore could by fed into a crushing mill on the level below, powered by a large water wheel (NY 20 SE 37). The mine went out of use c.1885, but the spalling floor was evidently used again when activity recommenced in 1906-8 and 1912-3. In this phase, ore was transported from the middle level on the Pave York Vein via an inclined tramway (respectively NY 20 SE 18 and 27). A stone-built chute was constructed to take processed ore down to two precipitation tanks at the base of the platform, which implies that some form of crushing mill may have been sited on the platform at this time.
For further information, see the report at Level 3 standard available through the NMR archive, which includes reproductions of 19th-century documents, extracts from the survey at 1:500 scale, photographs and interpretative drawings. (1)
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