Home > Mines, Quarries & Sites > Rorrington Lead Mine

Rorrington (Rorreton, West Roman Mine, West Roman Gravels Mine, West Snailbeach) Lead Mine (United Kingdom)


The grilled portal of Deep Level is open to the west of the track and water flows from here along a leat into the stream. A short distance in there is a filled shaft offset to the right of the level, this corresponds to a depression on surface next to a track. Air Shaft is 150yds from the entrance and there is an obstruction in the level due to attempts to fill the shaft, the infill having fallen away to a height of 20ft up the shaft. At surface, the shaft is open to a depth of 30ft due to settling of the infill. The level continues to the base of the filled No.1 Shaft, at which point it turns left. The passage then leads to stoping on No.3 Vein which is very loose and the source of the large amount of water in the mine. The main passage continues and, in 1964, contained rotting timber which had to be cleared before access was gained to a second stope, on No.1 Vein. Numerous formations of ochre and hydrozincite occur in these workings. A clay dam is eventually reached, beyond which the water reaches the roof. Attempts to remove this dam have not been successful. There is bad air in the far reaches of these workings and breathing apparatus is required.

To the south-east of Air Shaft, there are the masonry remains of a waterwheel and dressing floor. To the east of these are two parallel veins running up the hilside, which have been worked by open cut methods. There are three adits driven on the veins but all are collapsed a short distance in. An open shaft part way up the hillside leads to some workings the other side of one of the adits.

Engine Shaft is situated in the middle of a large spoil tip to the west and has collapsed to leave a large crater. Just to the north of this is a line of open cut workings and a collapsed shaft, as well as a short masonry arched tunnel for which the purpose is unknown.

A track leads south-west down the hillside to the site of No.1 Shaft which is filled. Across the stream to the west was a stopehead, which has now been capped. There are three short trial adits just south of this and some open vein workings in the hillside. Further south, on the left side of the dingle, is another short adit. No.2 Shaft appears to have been filled and ploughed over in the field to the west.

Photos of Rorrington Lead Mine

Photographs Of Rorrington
Photographs Of Rorrington (0 photos)
Last updated November 12th 2007 by Barney
Historic Photographs Of Rorrington
Historic Photographs Of Rorrington (0 photos)
Last updated November 12th 2007 by Barney

Google Earth Map of Rorrington Lead Mine


Other location/mapping information:

Latitude: 52.5906
Longitude: -3.02735
Landranger grid reference: SO305997
Easting: 330500
Northing: 299700

Documents for Rorrington Lead Mine

Sorry, there are no documents currently available. If you have any documents you can share please click the 'Upload a Document' tab.

Major Mining Region



Rorrington Lead Mine belongs to the Shropshire region.