Old lead mine worked from a series of levels either side of the Daddryshield Burn. The grid reference given is for Middle Level which is the site of two levels and a smelt mill and is a scheduled ancient monument.
Greenlaws Mine, Daddry Shield, Weardale.
Greenlaws mine was first worked for lead along the Greenlaws West and East Veins, later on when the mine was developing two major cross veins were also discovered; the Swinhope Cross Vein and the Westernhope Cross Vein. Records show that the mine was being worked in 1725 around the Greenlaws Hush and it was worked on an off until the Beaumont Company took over in 1818. The Beaumont’s stopped operations in 1893 and in 1894 the Weardale Lead Company took over operations until 1907.
The West Vein was probably worked first and was exploited by hushing and by shallow surface shafts. The vein was weak and only small ore shoots were extracted in the Great Limestone and Slaty Hazle. The main levels on the West Vein workings are Birksike Level, a crosscut in the shale, Dent’s Level in the Great Limestone, and Dent’s Low Level driven below the Slaty Hazle.
The East Vein was by far the richer of the two veins and yielded ore from the Little Limestone to the Tynebottom Limestone. The East Vein was exploited my a number of levels, the highest being the Firestone Level. Below this was Jackson’s or Watt’s Level, which accessed the Great Limestone, next was the Middle Level driven below the Four Fathom Limestone, and finally on the lowest horizon was the Quarry Level at the base of the Slaty Hazle. In the 1940’s an attempt was made to open the Quarry Level and to work it for fluorspar, but this was an unsuccessful endeavour.
Apart from the galena that the mine was primarily worked for, other minerals included aragonite, calcite, amber and purple fluorite, quartz, siderite, and sphalerite.
THE ENTIRE GREENLAWS MINE COMPLEX IS ON PRIVATE LAND AND PERMISSION MUST BE OBTAINED FOR EXPLORATION. PLEASE DO NOT TRESPASS AS THIS WILL AGGRAVATE THE LANDOWNERS AND JEOPARDISE FUTURE ACCESS.
Description by Mr Mike.