Mines in County Durham

County Durham's North Pennine dales were one of Britain's great lead-mining districts, worked most intensively by the Quaker-run London Lead Company and its rivals through the 18th and 19th centuries. Killhope, now preserved as a museum, and Rookhope's Boltsburn mine — served by its own three-mile aerial ropeway — were among the most productive in Weardale, an area whose lead wealth paid for chapels, schools and libraries built by mining companies keen to improve their workforce's welfare.

Open the full map for the year filters and disasters.

Mine	Worked	Commodities
Andrews House Colliery	1726–1962	Coal
Auckland Park Colliery	1864–1946	Coal, Fireclay
Beamish Colliery	1763–1966	Coal
Bearpark Colliery	1872–1984	Coal, Fireclay
Beldon Lead Mine	18th century–By 1820	Lead, Fluorspar
Bishop Middleham Colliery	1846–1936	Coal
Blackdene Mine	By the early 15th century–1987	Fluorspar, Lead
Blackhall Colliery	From 1909 (sinking)–16 April 1981	Coal
Bowburn Colliery	1906 (earlier shafts from 1840)–22 July 1967	Coal
Brancepeth Colliery	1840–22 July 1967	Coal
Brandon Colliery	1856–15 March 1968	Coal
Brandon Walls Mine	1801–1903	Lead, Silver
Burnhope Colliery	From April 1850–22 July 1949	Coal
Burnopfield Colliery	1742–1968	Coal
Burtree Pasture Mine	By 1800–c. 1980	Lead, Fluorspar
Butsfield Quarry	from By 1922	Ganister
Cambokeels Mine	1868–1989	Fluorspar, Lead
Cassop Colliery	1840–1868	Coal
Chartershaugh Colliery	By 1680–1932 (seams abandoned 27 Feb)	Coal
Chilton Colliery	1872–1966	Coal
Closehouse Mine	From 1937–Late 1990s	Barite, Lead
Cocken Colliery	By 1842–By the 1890s	Coal
Coldberry Mine	By the mid-18th century–1953–1956 (sources differ)	Lead
Cornish Hush Mine	By 1863–1980	Lead, Fluorspar
Cornsay Colliery	1868–September 1953	Coal, Fireclay
Cow Green Mine	From late 18th century–1954	Barite, Lead
Craghead Colliery	1839–11 April 1969	Coal, Fireclay
Dawdon Colliery	From March 1900 (sinking)–25 July 1991	Coal
Deaf Hill Colliery	1877–1967	Coal
Dean and Chapter Colliery	1904–15 January 1966	Coal
Derwent Lead Mines	By 1624–1980s	Lead, Fluorspar
Diana Maria Mine	2017 (opencast)–Still active	Fluorspar
Easington Colliery	1899 (sinking)–1993	Coal
East Hedley Hope Colliery	1836–31 January 1959	Coal
East Hetton Colliery	1836–June 1983	Coal
Eden Colliery	1844–18 July 1980	Coal, Fireclay
Edmondsley Colliery	1850s–30 November 1920	Coal
Elemore Colliery	1825 (sinking)–February 1974	Coal
Esh Winning Colliery	1866–1968	Coal
Fishburn Colliery	1910–1973	Coal
Flushiemere Barytes Mine	—	Barite, Lead
Force Garth Quarry	1932–Still active	Whinstone
Frazer's Hush Mine	early 1970s–1999	Fluorspar, Lead
Frosterley Marble Quarries	worked from at least 1183–By the 20th century	Limestone, Fluorspar
Green Hurth Mine	1799 (lease)–1902	Lead, Zinc
Greenhead Colliery, Harperley	1860s–24 May 1907	Coal
Greenlaws Mine	c. 1700 (workings recorded from 1725)–Late 1880s	Lead
Groverake Mine	From 1819–1999	Fluorspar, Lead, Iron
Hamsteels Colliery	1867 (the museum gives 1868)–1958	Coal
Hamsterley Colliery	1864–2 February 1968	Coal
Handen Hold Colliery	1860–1968	Coal
Harehope Gill Mine	1796–1890	Lead, Fluorspar
Haswell Colliery	1835–31 December 1896	Coal
Hawthorn Combined Mine	1960–1992	Coal
Healeyfield Mine	Working by the late 18th century–1930	Lead, Ganister
Hedleyhill Colliery	By 1873–1925 (drifts until 1965)	Coal, Fireclay
Hedleyhope Colliery	1836–December 1945	Coal
Heights Pasture Mine	from 1850 (Weardale Iron Company)	Lead, Fluorspar, Iron
High Sedling Mine	Working by 1930–By 1930	Fluorspar
Horden Colliery	From November 1900 (sinking)–28 February 1987	Coal
Houseslip Mine	to 7 April 1924	Ganister
Kibblesworth Colliery	1842–4 October 1974	Coal, Fireclay
Killhope Lead Mine	1818–1910	Lead, Zinc
Lady Annabella Mine	Early 1960s (as a cement quarry)–Still active	Fluorspar
Lady's Rake Mine	From 1868–1909	Lead
Lambton Colliery	1790 (C pit sunk 1791)–27 February 1965	Coal
Lintz Colliery	1855–1929	Coal
Lintzgarth Mine	1930–June 1930	Lead
Littleburn Colliery	1840–December 1950	Coal, Fireclay
Lodge Syke Mine	from By 1888	Lead
Louisa Colliery	1759–1964	Coal
Lumley Colliery	1790s–22 January 1966	Coal
Lunehead Mine	By 1882–1942 (discontinued)	Barite, Lead
Mainsforth Colliery	1873–6 December 1968	Coal
Medomsley Colliery	1839–6 October 1972	Coal
Middridge Colliery	1872–1914	Coal
Morrison Busty Colliery	1927–1973	Coal
Murton Colliery	From April 1838 (sinking)–29 November 1991	Coal
Oakenshaw Colliery	1855–1892	Coal
Page Bank Colliery	1850s (sinking from 1853)–July 1931	Coal
Pelton Colliery	1835–February 1965	Coal
Pike Law Mine	From 1753–1891	Lead
Rainton Meadows Colliery	1824–1896	Coal
Raisby Hill Quarry	By 1896–Still active	Limestone
Redburn Mine	1930s–1981	Fluorspar
Roddymoor Colliery	1844–10 August 1963	Coal, Witherite, Fireclay
Rogerley Mine	from early 1970s	Fluorspar
Rookhope (Boltsburn Mine)	early 19th century–1931	Lead, Fluorspar
Sacriston Colliery	1839–1985	Coal, Fireclay
Seaham Colliery	13 April 1849 (sinking)–1988 (merged with Vane Tempest, 1983)	Coal, Fireclay
Sedling Rake Mine	1818–1948	Lead, Fluorspar
Sherburn Hill Colliery	1835–7 August 1965	Coal
Shotton Colliery	1840–1 September 1972	Coal
Slitt Mine	Early 1700s–1878	Lead
South Pelaw Colliery	1860 (first shaft)–3 January 1964	Coal
Stanhopeburn Mine	1830–1982	Lead, Fluorspar
Stotsfield Burn Mine	From 1863–1966	Lead, Fluorspar
Thornley Colliery	1835 (sinking)–1970	Coal
Thrislington Colliery	From 1835–4 March 1967	Coal
Trimdon Grange Colliery	May 1845–16 February 1968	Coal
Tudhoe Colliery	1864–September 1935	Coal, Fireclay
Tudhoe Whinstone Mine	By 1882 (quarried earlier)–After 1890	Whinstone
Tursdale Colliery	1854 (boring)–May 1966	Coal
Urpeth Colliery	From 1742–30 March 1957	Coal
Ushaw Moor Colliery	From 1858–5 August 1960	Coal
Vane Tempest Colliery	From December 1923 (sinking)–23 October 1992	Coal
Viewly Hill Ganister Quarry	By 1921–1923	Ganister
West Rigg Opencast	Late 19th century–1968	Iron, Lead
West Stanley Colliery	1832–1936	Coal
Westoe Colliery	1909 (producing colliery from 1940)–May 1993	Coal
Wheatley Hill Colliery	1869–3 May 1968	Coal
Willington Colliery	1840–1932	Coal, Fireclay
Windlestone Colliery	1876–1924	Coal
Wingate Grange Colliery	1839–26 October 1962	Coal
Witton Park Colliery	June 1819–April 1925	Coal
Wolfcleugh Mine	From 1818–1912	Lead, Fluorspar
Woodifield Colliery	1843–March 1944	Coal