andymacg
  • andymacg
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17 years ago
has anyone been to the Scottish lead mining museum at Wanlockhead?

planning to visit it in september,as this will be the next time I am taking the wife up to vist her parents in Argyll

as every time I go past the signs on the M74 I always say to the wife that we really should visit there.

Is it worth the detour or is it a tacky touristy type thing?
Captain Scarlet
17 years ago
Let me put it this way, if you have visited Ian Tylers museum at Keswick, you will certainly be disappointed with the one at Wanlockhead.
STANDBY FOR ACTION!!!!...
Bill
  • Bill
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17 years ago
I visited last year and was quite impressed - the whole village has got a lot to lookat as you wander round. The museum is quite nicely laid out with some good bits to see. Lots of nice social history stuff as well. The underground tour is, like many, reliant on the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guide to be interesting. It's quite a long way off the normal tourst trail and I did't find it at all tacky :thumbsup:
BILL
Moorebooks
17 years ago

There are interesting remains if you walk around the valley - the underground is a bit naff. There are are nicely preserved buildings and is the home of the first free library. leadhills alongside also claims a first library. The social side is fairly provocative as the miners and families were fully exploited infant mortality was shockingly high

There was quite a fight to keep it open last year and every effort should be made to visit as they are on a knife edge. There was a reasonable cafe there as I recall

Although I agree that they don't provide enough information about Metal mining in Scotland and should look to reprint / rewrite publications like NMRS Bay Mine. Ian Tylers museum is full of artefacts and photos but is in the middle of Keswick and is by default not on a mine site.

Mike



andymacg
  • andymacg
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17 years ago
Thanks chaps

I'll be paying the museum a visit on my next trip north if it helps them out by getting another few visitors through the doors.

Buckhill
17 years ago
Quote:

Let me put it this way, if you have visited Ian Tylers museum at Keswick, you will certainly be disappointed with the one at Wanlockhead.



Rather unfair Sir - Ian has a great museum but he also has crowds of touroids to support the place. Wanlockhead is usually viewed like andymacg ("might go if I wasn't rushing to Glasgow/Edinburgh/Highlands").

I agree with Bill and Moorebooks about the interesting parts being in the village and surrounds as a whole - the mine could be better. (When I took my dad and grandson in there some years ago the guide confidently told everyone how shots were fired "light the fuse and step back SIX feet until it's gone off" 😮 - enthusiastic he was, miner never.

But there again maybe I'm biased - dad was born there when his dad worked in the mines during WW1.
LAP
  • LAP
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  • Newbie
17 years ago
Hey;
I'll be in Wanlochead hopefully on Saturday; anything there underground other that the mine tours?

regards

Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

tiger99
17 years ago
There is the Gripps level, north of Leadhills, in the valley floor. You will see a large iron pipe, and slightly upstream a shaft with one side collapsed. However, I am told that the adit upstream is blocked and there is a huge head of water behind the blockage.

You can at least look down one of the shafts at about NS885140. Concreted wire mesh bars the way in, but as it drains through Gripps, expect deep water anyway.

Drainage adit (the lowest) at about 860138, but the portal is sagging somewhat, the sides of the exit cutting have slumped, raising the water level, and I have heard that it is blocked not very far in.

Bay Mine drainage adit at 866135, under the road. Grille may not be impassable. Those who don't care about vandalising things could get into the shaft above, there is already a very small hole in the side of the brickwork below the concrete cap. Maybe someone will have already enlarged it.

Whyte's Cleuch drainage adit somewhere around 862138, under the road has collapsed, The fenced hole just across the road may provide access.

Allegedly the Horse Level somewhere near 863133 (west side of valley) is only closed by a few stones. There may be other entrances nearby. Warning! Very deep stopes, possibly unstable. There are some collapses showing at the surface, usually fenced.

Upstream of the Bay Mine, about 867137, east side of valley, is one adit, possibly two.

I know of a few others where entry might be possible, but as they have been walled or bulldozed, I think the landowners would not be amused. Anyway, I am sure none of us would encourage vandalism. Sad, because at least one did give access to quite extensive workings as recently as about 1970. But I have not seen the entire area.

By the way, the hills are a no-go area in the grouse season.

Alan



Monty Stubble
17 years ago
I was there yesterday. The underground bit is ... well, underwhelming but then again, it's not aimed at me.

The most interesting bit for me was the Library.
The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.
Henry David Thoreau

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