Mines in Cumbria

Cumbria's mining is centred on the Lake District, where copper and lead veins in the fells were worked from Elizabethan times — Coniston and Greenside among the largest producers — right through to 1990, when Force Crag became the last working metal mine anywhere in the district. Carrock Fell, in the northern fells, adds an unusual footnote: it's the only place in Britain outside Cornwall and Devon ever to have produced wolfram, the ore of tungsten, worked in short bursts whenever wartime demand or high prices made it worthwhile.

Open the full map for the year filters and disasters.

Mine	Worked	Commodities
Applethwaite Fell Slate Works	from Working by 1888	Slate
Augill Mine	By 1843–1896	Lead
Ban Garth Mine	1845–1874	Iron
Bank Wood Quarry	1902–By 1905	Slate
Banks Slate Quarry, Chapel Stile	By 1882–After 1922	Slate
Barbara Pit, Kirkland	1923–31 March 1926	Iron
Barrow Mine	By the 1680s–1889	Lead, Silver, Zinc
Barrowmouth Gypsum and Alabaster Mine	By 1794–1908	Gypsum
Beckermet Mine	1903–3 October 1980	Iron
Bentyfield Mine	19th century–By 1882	Lead
Bigrigg Mine	medieval–1932	Iron
Birker Moor Mine	By 1881, possibly earlier–By 1888	Iron
Blagill Mine	1859–1895	Lead, Barytocalcite
Blea Tarn Mine	1871–By 1877 (company in liquidation)	Iron
Boaterby Mine	1885–1920	Gypsum
Borrowdale Colliery, Brough	By 1873–December 1934	Coal
Bramcrag Quarry	from Later 19th century	Granite
Brandelhow Mine	By 1560s–early 1891	Lead, Copper, Silver, Graphite
Brandy Gill Mine	1852 (uncertain)–1877	Lead, Copper
Branthwaite Colliery	By 1852, possibly earlier–1921	Coal, Fireclay, Ganister
Brayton Domain Colliery	to Before 1947	Coal
Brownley Hill Mine	worked from the early 1700s–1966	Lead, Silver, Zinc
Buckhill Colliery	1873–27 November 1932	Coal, Fireclay, Ironstone
Cabbish Mine	From 1859–1930	Barite, Lead
Caplecleugh Mine	1754–1914 (further stoping to 1918)	Lead, Zinc
Carrock End Copper Mine	About 1700–1869	Copper
Carrock Fell Mine	1854–1981	Tungsten, Copper, Arsenic, Lead
Carrs Mine	By 1679–Early 1940s	Lead, Zinc
Cash Well Mine	Before 1800–c. 1921	Lead
Castlenook Mine	1860–1918	Lead
Clifton Colliery, Great Clifton	By 1635 (colliery returned from 1860)–20 February 1959	Coal, Fireclay
Cocklakes Mine	Early 1860s–1930	Gypsum, Anhydrite
Coniston Copper Mines	1590s–early 20th century (residual activity to 1956)	Copper
Cove Quarries, Coniston	By c. 1855–1934	Slate
Croft Pit, Whitehaven	1774–c.1905 (renamed Ladysmith Pit)	Coal
Crook Burn Mine	By 1888–By 1902	Lead
Crossfield Mine	from By 1864	Iron
Crossgill Mine	By 1864–1925 or 1926	Iron
Crowgarth Mine	Working by 1784–1958	Iron
Dale Head Copper Mine	from c. 1700	Copper
Dalzell's Moor Row Mine	From 1882–31 March 1926	Iron
Deer Hills Baryte Mine	From 1961–After 1961	Barite
Dowgang Mine	By 1773–By 1902	Lead, Zinc
Dowpot Syke and Guttergill Mine	By 1735, possibly earlier–1892	Lead
Driggith Mine	17th or 18th century–1940s	Copper, Lead, Silver, Zinc, Barite
Dry Gill Mine	1846–1869	Lead, Barite, Manganese
Dubs Quarry	By 1870, possibly earlier–1927 or 1932 (sources differ)	Slate
Duke Pit	1747–1844	Coal
Eagle Crag Mine	By 1784–1876	Lead, Zinc
Elterwater Quarry	From mid-19th century–Still active	Slate
Eskett Pit	From 1882–1913	Iron
Flimby Colliery	By 1855–1909	Coal
Flinty Fell Lead Rakes	Later Norman–Early 19th century	Lead
Florence Mine	1914–2007	Iron
Force Crag Mine	1839–1990	Lead, Zinc, Barite, Silver
Frizington Iron Mines	19th century–By late 1970s	Iron, Barite
Gate Crag Quarry	Working by 1929–1929	Slate
Gill Force Mine	1880–By 1884	Iron
Gillfoot Park Mine	1879–1915	Iron
Gillhead Colliery	By 1860s–1959	Coal, Fireclay, Ganister
Goldscope Mine	1564–late 19th century	Copper, Lead, Silver, Gold
Greenburn Mine	From late 17th century–c. 1885	Copper
Greenhead Gill Mine	c. 1564–1573	Lead
Greenside Mine	1825–1962	Lead, Silver
Haig Colliery	1914-18 (sinking)–1986	Coal
Hardshins Lead Mine	By 1870s–May 1890	Lead
Hartside Mine	By 1921–1950	Barite
Hartsop Hall Mine	By 1684–1942	Lead, Silver
Hilton and Scordale Mines	By the 18th century–After 1919	Lead, Barite, Fluorspar, Witherite
Hodbarrow Mine	1856–1968	Iron
Hodge Close Quarry	By the 1780s, possibly earlier–1964	Slate
Holyfield Mine	from By 1828	Lead
Honister Slate Mine	from Late 17th century	Slate
Hudgill Burn Mine	By 1804–1870	Lead, Zinc
Kells Pit, Whitehaven	from By 1781	Coal
Kirkby Slate Quarries	By the 16th century–Still active	Slate
Kirkby Thore Gypsum Mines	from From around 1790	Gypsum
Kirkstone Slate Quarry	1949–2012	Slate
Ladysmith Pit	1900 (sinking begun)–1930	Coal
Lag Bank Quarry	From 1927–1945	Slate
Lindal Moor	From mid-19th century–c. 1914-1915	Iron
Long Meg Mine	1880–January 1976	Gypsum, Anhydrite
Long Work Copper Mine	c. 1565–1922	Copper
Longcleugh Mine	From 1751–1882-1960	Lead
Longriggs Mine, Appleby	1965–After 1984	Gypsum
Lords Quarry	from By 1882	Slate
Loughrigg Fell Slate Quarry	from Working by 1888	Slate
Lowca Colliery	By 1838–1968	Coal
Margaret Mine	By 1930s–1960	Iron
Middlecleugh Mine	After 1758–By 1920	Lead, Zinc
Moresby Colliery	1879–1961	Coal
Mowbray Mine	1842–Early 20th century	Iron
Myers Head Mine	c. 1866–Late 1870s	Lead, Zinc
Nab Gill Mine	By 1842–July 1918	Iron
Nent Force Level	1776–c.1810	Lead
Nenthead Mines	1737–1961	Lead, Silver, Zinc
Nentsberry Haggs Mine	19th century–1938	Lead, Zinc, Witherite
Nentsbury Mine	to 108	Lead, Zinc
New Stamphill Mine, Kirkby Thore	1937–After 1950	Gypsum
Oatlands Colliery	1880–1932 (last coal)	Coal, Fireclay
Pallaflat Iron Mine	1874–1914	Iron
Park Mines	1850–1921	Iron
Parrock Quarry	By 1894–1930	Slate
Potts Ghyll Mine	1844–1940s	Barite
Quay Foot Quarry	Working by the mid-19th century–After 1930	Slate
Rampgill Mine	1690 (Rampgill Vein discovered)–1949	Lead, Zinc
Red Gill Mine	from 19th century	Lead, Copper
Rigg Head Quarry	from Working by 1930	Slate
Risehow Colliery	1918–1966	Coal
Roachburn Colliery	1893 or 1895–1912	Coal
Roanhead Iron Mine	1852–1942	Iron
Rodderup Fell Mine	From about 1800–1948	Lead, Fluorspar
Roughton Gill Mine	12th century (earliest possible)–17th century	Copper, Silver, Zinc, Barite, Lead
Ruthwaite Mine	1910–1925	Barite
Saltom Colliery	1729–1848 (pumping continued to 1866)	Coal
Sandbed Mine	18th century–1966	Lead, Copper, Zinc
Seathwaite Wad Mine	15th century (earliest indirect evidence)–1891	Graphite
Shap Granite Quarries	1864–Still active	Granite
Silver Gill Mine	1020-1200–Late Elizabethan period	Lead, Copper, Silver
Silverband Mine	From the 19th century–1960s (closure)	Barite, Lead
Smallcleugh Mine	c.1770–c.1900	Lead, Zinc
Solway Colliery	1937 (sinking begun)–1973	Coal
St Helen's Colliery, Siddick	1861–1 September 1966	Coal, Fireclay
St Thomas' Work Copper Mine	Late 16th century–Early 17th century	Copper
Stank Mine	1871 (first shaft)–March 1901	Iron
Thornthwaite Mine	1780s–Around 1920-21	Lead, Zinc
Threlkeld Quarry and Mine	1870–1982	Granite, Lead, Zinc, Barite
Tilberthwaite	worked from the late 16th/early 17th century (Elizabethan)–1942 (copper)	Copper, Lead, Slate
Troutbeck Park Green Slate Works	From 1883–By 1894	Slate
Tynehead Mine	1854–1873	Lead, Copper
Ullcoats Mine	1897–1959 (Ullcoats)	Iron
Upper Slatesike Mine	Before 1778–Early 19th century	Lead
Wellington Pit	1840–1933	Coal
Whitesike Mine	By 1848–After 1882	Lead
William Pit	From May 1804 (sinking)–31 December 1954	Coal
Woodhouse Colliery	2025–31 March 2025	Coal
Workington Colliery	from From the 1730s	Coal
Wythburn Mine	1839–1880	Lead
Yarlside Mine	from 1868	Iron
Yew Craggs Quarry	Working by the early 18th century–1963	Slate
Yewthwaite Mine	1849–1893	Lead, Zinc