Introduction

Located in the Caldbeck Fells Dry Gill mine is considered to be one of the most mineralogically significant sites in the UK while at the same time having been a mine of little economic significance. The Dry Gill vein is a large Quartz vein that would have been obvious to prospectors on the Caldbeck Fells mining area, but it does not appear to have attracted much attention prior to 1846, probably due to the difficulty in smelting the lead ores that are found in the vein.

The first recorded working of the vein was by Hugh Lee Pattinson, who took a lease on the vein in November 1846 at a royalty of 1/7. Pattinson was the inventor of the Pattinson de-silvering process. Most of the recorded output for the mine was raised in this period of working, with 20 tons raised in 1847, 90 tons raised in 1848-1849 and 120 tons raised between 1850-52. These working seem to have been centred on the lowest level driven in the mine being the Pattinson level driven directly on the vein where it crosses the beck.

Following this the mine was leased by various different companies and partnerships, with little other work being recorded. Some work must have been undertaken as there are 2-3 other levels driven into the vein further up the beck and there has been reports of a reasonable sized stope located off one of these levels. The last commercial interest in this mine was by the Cleator Iron Ore Co., Ltd. who acquired the lease along with that of the Roughton Gill mine in July 1887. They appear to have cleared and inspected the levels but undertaken no other work.

The vein at Dry Gill mainly consists of very hard Quartz Baryte and Mimetite that is known as Campylite due to the distinctive barrel shape the crystals here form. Excellent crystals of Campylite have been collected from Dry GIll over the years, these crystals can be Green, Yellow or even a toffee brown colour.

Collector's Guide

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Notable Finds

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Collecting History

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