Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club - Newsletter Vol 3 No 2 - Summer 1965
TRIP TO CARROCK FELL TUNGSTEN MINE. CUMBERLAND
Party: E.Holland
(Leader), brother, Len, Diane Tucker, P. Ashmead.
& M. Moseley.
Considering that Eric had gone to considerable trouble to arrange this
trip it was disappointing that only three Lancaster based Red Rose members
turned up. Perhaps the idea of going down mines is a little off
putting to some, but Eric is very cooperative (sometimes) and. could always have
arranged an expedition to Henning Valley Cave.
The mines are situated
in Grainsgill, a tributary of the River Calder.
They were abandoned after the last war, but are in general
in a good state of preservation, although one or two parts have collapsed
or appear about to do so. Those workings which may still he entered are on two
levels, the upper one of which can only be reached by a climb of about 80 feet
up wooden ladders that have been there since the war. The entrance level is
knee-deep in water but the inner parts are dry and. easily explored.
The main ore is Wolframite (a tungsten ore)
which occurs in wide veins of quartz containing cavities with quartz crystals.
Also abundant were samples of arsenopyrite, scheelite & pyrite, and a few specimens
of nail-head calcite & apatite were discovered. A complete list of the
minerals of this mine may be found in the Special Reports on the Mineral Resources of Gt. Britain, Vol 1 (3rd. ed.).
Underground, Pete had been conspicuous by his absence. When
we returned to the surface he was found trying to lower the water level of
the entrance canal. I was JUST about to come in, he said. What a remarkable
coincidence ..!
Walking back to the car we surprised some mineral collectors scrabbling
about on the spoil heaps. Surprised was the word - they turned white when we
appeared over the brow. No wonder. Eric in his greatcoat looked like a
fugitive from the German advance on Moscow; his brother like a Soho spiv (he always does); Len
was in a somewhat bedraggled best suit and shoes, and Diane & I were both
covered in a thick layer of brilliant red mud from Warton
Crag. When they had recovered and learned that we had been underground
collecting rocks, they proudly showed us their days “plum” - a piece
of apatite the size of a pin-head. Their white faces turned green when Eric
spat out the 1/2” long apatite crystal he was carrying in his mouth. They were
last seen dithering at the entrance to the mine, clutching torches and deciding
whether apatite crystals were worth the risks of roof collapses, endless mazes
of passages, foul air, the possibility of pneumonia from wet feet and sundry
other dangers that they imagined themselves faned
with.
A very enjoyable day. Thanks are due to Eric for arranging the trip
and providing transport to & from the mine,
M. Moseley.