Whaw Mine

Overview

A lead mine at the hamlet of Whaw in Arkengarthdale, whose surrounding hillsides remain visibly scarred by hushing, worked within a dale mined from at least medieval times and at its most productive during the 18th and 19th centuries.

History

Lead mining in Arkengarthdale is recorded from at least medieval times: a Roman lead 'pig' stamped with the name of the Emperor Hadrian has been found locally, and the earliest documentary record of lead being taken from the dale dates to 1285, when the Lord's mine -- possibly referring to workings at Faggergill -- made a profit of £4. By 1521 mining was extensive across Arkengarthdale, including at Moulds, Punchard Gill and Faggergill. Bell pits were the common method of working through the 17th and into the 18th century; gunpowder was introduced to the dale's mines around 1700 and had become common by 1750, allowing deep-level tunnels to be driven into the hillsides in place of shallower workings. The hillsides around Whaw itself are still scarred with the remnants of this mining, and former hushes -- artificial floods released down the hillside to strip away topsoil and expose the vein beneath -- remain in evidence today. Lead mining reached its peak in Arkengarthdale during the 19th century, when the dale's mines were among the most productive in Yorkshire and supported a far larger population than lives there now; the hamlet of Whaw itself recorded 18 houses in the 1851 census, reflecting this mining-driven population. The lead was sold on to merchants based in York.

Geology

Lead of the Arkengarthdale orefield, the vein first exposed by hushing — releasing artificial floods down the hillside to strip the topsoil away.

Workings

Worked partly by hushing -- releasing artificial floods down the hillside to strip away topsoil and expose the vein -- and, from around 1700 once gunpowder came into common use, by deep-level tunnels driven into the hillsides in place of the earlier, shallower bell pits.

Closure

Unknown.

What remains

The hillsides around Whaw remain visibly scarred by former hushes and other mining remains.

Recorded claims

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

• A Roman lead 'pig' stamped with the name of the Emperor Hadrian has been found locally, and the earliest documentary record of lead being taken from Arkengarthdale dates to 1285, when the Lord's mine made a profit of £4; by 1521 mining was extensive across the dale, including at Moulds, Punchard Gill and Faggergill. ¹
• Bell pits were the common method of working through the 17th and into the 18th century; gunpowder was introduced to the dale's mines around 1700 and had become common by 1750, allowing deep-level tunnels to be driven in place of shallower workings, while the hillsides around Whaw itself remain scarred by former hushes. ²
• Lead mining reached its peak in Arkengarthdale during the 19th century, when the dale's mines were among the most productive in Yorkshire and supported a far larger population than lives there today; Whaw itself recorded 18 houses in the 1851 census. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Arkengarthdale: History of Yorkshire Dales valley known for lead mining — Yorkshire Post
2. (secondary) Whaw — Wikipedia

Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026