Beckermet Mine

Overview

Beckermet, opened in 1903 in the heart of west Cumbria's haematite district, ended up swallowing its more famous neighbour Florence Mine in 1969 — pumping it dry and linking underground — before British Steel finally closed the combined mine in 1980.

History

Iron working in the district around Beckermet dates back to at least the 12th century, with mining recorded as active through the 17th and 18th centuries, long before Beckermet Mine itself was formally opened in 1903. The mine worked the rich haematite orebodies of west Cumbria, ore with an iron content typically between 50 and 60 per cent and exceptionally low phosphorus, ideally suited to high-grade steelmaking. In 1969 Beckermet took over the neighbouring Florence Mine, pumping out its flooded workings and linking the two underground, with ore from both drawn up Beckermet's own shaft for the steelworks at Workington. The combined mine, by then part of the British Steel Corporation, finally closed on 3 October 1980.

Geology

The mine worked the West Cumberland Iron Field's haematite orebodies, formed where iron-rich mineralising fluids replaced pockets and fissures within the district's Carboniferous limestone — large, irregular deposits rather than a regular vein, exceptionally pure and low in phosphorus.

Geological setting: Iron Replacement Deposits (well documented example)

Workings

Beckermet's own shaft drew ore from both its own workings and, from 1969, the linked and dewatered Florence Mine workings, for onward shipment to the steelworks at Workington.

Closure

The combined Beckermet and Florence workings, by then part of the British Steel Corporation, closed on 3 October 1980.

Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Cumbrian haematite ore typically had an iron content of between 50 and 60 per cent and phosphorus content below 0.02 per cent, ideally suited to high-grade steel production. ¹
• In 1969 Beckermet took over the neighbouring Florence Mine, pumping out its flooded workings and linking it underground, before the combined mine closed on 3 October 1980. ^1,2

Sources

1. (primary) Metalliferous and associated minerals, geology and man, Northern England — British Geological Survey (Earthwise)
2. (secondary) Beckermet Mine, Haile, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK — Mindat
3. (primary) BECKERMET mine plans — British Geological Survey / The Coal Authority

Record created: 24 August 2026 · Last researched: 24 August 2026