not logged in for a while, just lurked, but time for some catching up (including PM's - sorry folks!) got a few local ones to me that I cannot find any info about and wondered if anyone else could shed any light. Not far from the summit of the old incline from rookhope up bolts law, to the left of the incline. was up there with the mutt and poked my head inside, seemed to go in a fair way, only had me wellies on and didn't fancy walking back down through the snow with wet feet, as the water is maybe knee deep. although I did shift a few stones at the entrance so it may have dropped a bit now. any ideas? seems to be a long way up to be a mine

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Personal-Album-11365-Image-84997/ 

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Personal-Album-11365-Image-84998/ 

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Inline images in case it helps ID the location:

🔗Personal-Album-11365-Image-84997[linkphoto]Personal-Album-11365-Image-84997[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Personal-Album-11365-Image-84998[linkphoto]Personal-Album-11365-Image-84998[/linkphoto][/link]

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ta!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=54.791732,+-2.082177&hl=en&t=h&z=18&iwloc=A 

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I've tweaked the title to maybe prompt a few more people with more local knowledge than myself to have a look.

I've looked through Fairbairn (who I noticed popped up in the forums the other day for the first time) and Dunham and I can find no mention of anything up there, nowt on the old maps either.

The location you've marked is about midway between Redway Level and Hopeburn Shaft which are the only listed communications with Boltburn in the literature and then probably a good chunk to the east of those workings.

Dunham talks about three cross-veins at 3250ft, 7000ft and 8540ft from the engine shaft. Its very roughly in the region of the second.

He does go on to mention evidence for old workings of limonitic iron ore in the fell-top limestone near the course of the cross-vein, but I think that refers to the third one.

Short answer, no idea, look forward to seeing some pictures of inside.

Small but perfectly formed. Another one to add to the 'to do' list, but not for a while - I doubt if I could get to Rookhope today, more snow overnight. 😞

Old maps website 1896 1/2500 map shows "level, lead" and old ironstone workings to the east of the railway.

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its a way up the fell from redway. marked redway on the bottom of the pic below, this 'un is at the top.

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With it being more or less behind the Bolts Law Engine House, is there the possibility its some sort of culvert to gather water for the boilers rather than a mine level ?

I thought that, or even some sort of air intake for the boilers also, but though it too well built and big. Its under many feet of snow right now, but thinking about having a proper nosey on sunday

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Perhaps if the people who built it were used to building mine levels then they just went with what they knew.

Certainly worth futher investigation though when the snow melts.

It is in fact a underground reservoir for boltslaw engine,if you go in it just ends at a shaft to surface, above the shaft was once a large iron tank to hold water pumped up by the steam engine.
Until the last couple of years the shaft was open to the side of the engine house ruin but was capped to stop the coast to coast cyclists falling down it.
If you go onto the beamish museum site you will find a section called the peoples collection this is the museums collection of photographs, type in Rookhope you will find 262 copys of old photographs of rookhope village and mines one is the boltslaw engine showing the water tank.

This one ?