Crowgarth Mine

Overview

A haematite iron mine at Cleator Moor, tapping a notably rich ore body as early as 1784 and worked on, latterly under Lord Leconfield's ownership, until 1958, when it closed as the last iron mine in the district.

History

Crowgarth was already producing iron ore of note by 1784, when it tapped a particularly rich body of hard blue haematite; some 20,000 tons of ore from this discovery were shipped to the Carron Foundry in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Alongside neighbouring mines such as Montreal and Jacktrees, Crowgarth helped turn Cleator Moor and the surrounding villages into a booming 19th-century iron district, one that depended on labour drawn in large numbers from Ireland -- men from counties including Wicklow, Donegal, Galway and Mayo, often followed by their wives and children, gave Cleator Moor its lasting nickname of 'Little Ireland' by the 1870s. The mine was held as part of the property of Lord Leconfield. While most of the district's haematite mines had closed by the early 20th century, Crowgarth continued working, finally closing in 1958 as the last iron mine to shut in the Cleator Moor district.

Geology

Haematite iron ore hosted in Carboniferous Limestone, part of the wider West Cumbrian iron ore field; the ore body tapped in 1784 was noted specifically as a rich deposit of hard blue ore.

What remains

No detailed current-condition survey has yet been located.

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.

• In 1784 Crowgarth Mine tapped a particularly rich body of hard blue ore, some 20,000 tons of which were shipped to the Carron Foundry in Stirlingshire. ¹
• Cleator Moor's mines, including Crowgarth, drew large numbers of workers from Irish counties such as Wicklow, Donegal, Galway and Mayo, earning the town its nickname 'Little Ireland' by the 1870s. ²
• Crowgarth was the last iron mine to close in the Cleator Moor district, closing in 1958. ³

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.

Sources

1. (secondary) Iron mining — Industrial History of Cumbria
2. (secondary) Description Of Cleator Moor, 1896 — Cleator Moor (Little Ireland)
3. (secondary) Crowgarth Mine, Cleator Moor, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK — Mindat

Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 30 August 2026