Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UKi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Dry Gill Mine | Mine (Abandoned) |
| Caldbeck | Civil Parish |
| Allerdale | District |
| Cumbria | County |
| England | Constituent Country |
| UK | Country |
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells Mining Region, Cumbria, England, UK
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
54° 42' 5'' North , 3° 3' 2'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
UK National Grid Reference:
NY324345
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2020
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Caldbeck | 311 (2018) | 5.2km |
| Bassenthwaite | 412 (2018) | 9.6km |
| Greystoke | 654 (2018) | 12.0km |
| Keswick | 4,281 (2018) | 12.5km |
| Portinscale | 560 (2018) | 13.3km |
Mindat Locality ID:
1429
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:1429:1
GUID (UUID V4):
7c8c732f-c67f-4e0c-80c2-0ec7ba751664
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Drygill Mine
Cooper & Stanley (1991):
"Of little commercial significance, this mine is one of the most famous mineral localities in the world. Lead minerals consisting predominantly of phosphate-bearing mimetite (campylite) in a gangue of quartz, barite and manganese oxides were deposited in an east-west vein. Other minerals occur rarely, the most well-known being plumbogummite.
Although mimetite specimens from Dry Gill are recorded from at least 1830 there is no record of commercial ore mining here until a lease was taken by Hugh Lee Pattinson, inventor of a cupellation process for the desilvering of lead. Pattinson began work in 1846, driving an adit on the vein where it crosses Dry Gill beck near the foot of the gill. He raised a few hundred tons of "colored lead ore" but gave up the work in the 1850's. The property was subsequently tried by various operators, none of whom had much success. The mine was last worked in 1869.
The finest mimetite specimens were collected in the 19th century but, although increasingly hard to find, some fine material has been obtained since, particularly in the 1970's. However, the mine is notoriously unstable, cold and wet, and there have been a number of accidents involving collectors. No one has been critically injured but the incidents have highlighted the dangers of the old workings in the Caldbeck Fells."
Although mimetite specimens from Dry Gill are recorded from at least 1830 there is no record of commercial ore mining here until a lease was taken by Hugh Lee Pattinson, inventor of a cupellation process for the desilvering of lead. Pattinson began work in 1846, driving an adit on the vein where it crosses Dry Gill beck near the foot of the gill. He raised a few hundred tons of "colored lead ore" but gave up the work in the 1850's. The property was subsequently tried by various operators, none of whom had much success. The mine was last worked in 1869.
The finest mimetite specimens were collected in the 19th century but, although increasingly hard to find, some fine material has been obtained since, particularly in the 1970's. However, the mine is notoriously unstable, cold and wet, and there have been a number of accidents involving collectors. No one has been critically injured but the incidents have highlighted the dangers of the old workings in the Caldbeck Fells."
Note: Cooper & Stanley (1990) mention a "Deep or Pattinson Level [NY325346]".
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
22 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Anglesite Formula: PbSO4 Description: associated with campylite (Young, 1987). |
| ⓘ Aurichalcite Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ Azurite ? Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 Description: Kingsbury reference.
Recorded from the "lower day level" (Kingsbury & Hartley, 1960) or "bottom level" (Hartley, 1984) with beudantite, baryte and "psilomelane". |
| ⓘ Baryte Formula: BaSO4 Habit: tabular Description: Cooper & Stanley (1990): "First recorded by Greg & Lettsom (1858), baryte occurs here with mimetite and psilomelane. Tabular crystals are not uncommon and may reach 50mm or more on edge, but are generally dull and stained with manganese oxides. [...] Deep scars, presumably from baryte plates, may sometimes be seen in mimetite crystals." |
| ⓘ Beudantite ? Formula: PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 Habit: powdery, crystalline and fine-grained aggregates Colour: greenish-yellow; yellow; brown Description: Kingsbury reference. Kingsbury & Hartley (1960: 428): "in material from the middle cross-cut about halfway up the gill [NY32053450], as greenish yellow powdery aggregates associated with olivenite, and in material from the lower day-level [NY325346] as yellow crystalline and brown fine-grained aggregates, with baryte, azurite, and 'psilomelane'. |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Carminite ? Formula: PbFe3+2(AsO4)2(OH)2 Description: Kingsbury reference. Cooper & Stanley (1990): "Kingsbury & Stanley (1960) claimed that some of the beudantite they found here appeared to have been derived from carminite but they found no traces of the latter." |
| ⓘ Cerussite Formula: PbCO3 References: |
| ⓘ Cinnabar Formula: HgS |
| ⓘ Coronadite Formula: Pb(Mn4+6Mn3+2)O16 Habit: massive to fibrous; botryoidal Colour: silver-white inclining to steel-grey metallic when fresh, tarnishing to dull black Description: Green et al. (2008): "Coronadite is rare in the Caldbeck Fells. It was reported by Hartley (1959) from Dry Gill Mine and is sometimes assumed to be fairly common there, but recent research has shown that almost all of the black manganese oxide that accompanies Dry Gill campylite is romanèchite." |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS References: |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: α-Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ 'Manganese Oxides' References: |
| ⓘ Mimetite Formula: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl Habit: tabular; long to short prismatic; acicular Colour: pale to dark orange-brown, (greenish) yellow, lime to olive green References: |
| ✪ Mimetite var. Campylite Formula: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl Habit: rounded barrel-shaped crystals to globular aggregates Colour: orange-yellow; shades of brown; green (19th-century specimens) Description: May contain sufficient phosphorus to grade into an arsenatian pyromorphite. |
| ⓘ 'Mimetite-Pyromorphite Series' Habit: prismatic; tapering |
| ⓘ Olivenite ? Formula: Cu2(AsO4)(OH) Colour: dark green Description: Kingsbury reference. "From the middle cross-cut dumps halfway up the gill." |
| ⓘ Pharmacosiderite Formula: KFe3+4(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| ✪ Plumbogummite Formula: PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 Habit: drusy encrustation Colour: dark turquoise blue; very pale blue to colourless; brown References: |
| ⓘ 'Psilomelane' Habit: occasionally botryoidal Description: Probably either coronadite or romanèchite. Sometimes as epimorphs after an unknown mineral, strongly resembling sheafy hemimorphite crystals (M. Leppington Collection) (Cooper & Stanley, 1990).
Green et al. (2008): "Coronadite is rare in the Caldbeck Fells. It was reported by Hartley (1959) from Dry Gill Mine and is sometimes assumed to be fairly common there, but recent research has shown that almost all of the black manganese oxide that accompanies Dry Gill campylite is romanèchite." References: Kingsbury, Arthur W. G., Hartley, J. (1960) Carminite and beudantite from the northern part of the Lake District and from Cornwall. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 32 (249) 423-432 doi:10.1180/minmag.1960.032.249.01 |
| ⓘ Pyrolusite Formula: Mn4+O2 Habit: powdery and earthy coatings References: |
| ⓘ Pyromorphite Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl Habit: acicular; tapering prisms Colour: bright canary yellow; similar colours to mimetite References: |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Habit: massive |
| ⓘ Romanèchite Formula: (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 Description: Cooper & Stanley (1990): "The majority of records for 'psilomelane' from Caldbeck would probably now be referred to [as] romanèchite. A check of X-ray records in the BM(NH) shows that romanèchite has been confirmed from Dry Gill."
Green et al. (2008): "Coronadite is rare in the Caldbeck Fells. It was reported by Hartley (1959) from Dry Gill Mine and is sometimes assumed to be fairly common there, but recent research has shown that almost all of the black manganese oxide that accompanies Dry Gill campylite is romanèchite." References: |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS References: |
| ⓘ 'Wad' |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Cinnabar | 2.CD.15a | HgS |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | α-Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Pyrolusite | 4.DB.05 | Mn4+O2 |
| ⓘ | Coronadite | 4.DK.05a | Pb(Mn4+6Mn3+2)O16 |
| ⓘ | Romanèchite | 4.DK.10 | (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Cerussite | 5.AB.15 | PbCO3 |
| ⓘ | Azurite ? | 5.BA.05 | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Aurichalcite | 5.BA.15 | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Anglesite | 7.AD.35 | PbSO4 |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| ⓘ | Olivenite ? | 8.BB.30 | Cu2(AsO4)(OH) |
| ⓘ | Carminite ? | 8.BH.30 | PbFe3+2(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Beudantite ? | 8.BL.05 | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Plumbogummite | 8.BL.10 | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Mimetite var. Campylite | 8.BN.05 | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ | 8.BN.05 | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl | |
| ⓘ | Pyromorphite | 8.BN.05 | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| ⓘ | Pharmacosiderite | 8.DK.10 | KFe3+4(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Psilomelane' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Wad' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Manganese Oxides' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Mimetite-Pyromorphite Series' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Carminite | PbFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Goethite | α-Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Olivenite | Cu2(AsO4)(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Pharmacosiderite | KFe43+(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| H | ⓘ Plumbogummite | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Romanèchite | (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| C | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Carminite | PbFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Coronadite | Pb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | α-Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Mimetite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| O | ⓘ Olivenite | Cu2(AsO4)(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Pharmacosiderite | KFe43+(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| O | ⓘ Plumbogummite | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Pyrolusite | Mn4+O2 |
| O | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Romanèchite | (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 |
| O | ⓘ Mimetite var. Campylite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Plumbogummite | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | ⓘ Plumbogummite | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| P | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Cinnabar | HgS |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Cl | Chlorine | |
| Cl | ⓘ Mimetite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| Cl | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| Cl | ⓘ Mimetite var. Campylite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Pharmacosiderite | KFe43+(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Mn | Manganese | |
| Mn | ⓘ Coronadite | Pb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16 |
| Mn | ⓘ Pyrolusite | Mn4+O2 |
| Mn | ⓘ Romanèchite | (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| Fe | ⓘ Carminite | PbFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | α-Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pharmacosiderite | KFe43+(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Cu | ⓘ Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Olivenite | Cu2(AsO4)(OH) |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| As | Arsenic | |
| As | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| As | ⓘ Carminite | PbFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| As | ⓘ Mimetite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| As | ⓘ Olivenite | Cu2(AsO4)(OH) |
| As | ⓘ Pharmacosiderite | KFe43+(AsO4)3(OH)4 · 6-7H2O |
| As | ⓘ Mimetite var. Campylite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| Ba | ⓘ Romanèchite | (Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10 |
| Hg | Mercury | |
| Hg | ⓘ Cinnabar | HgS |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| Pb | ⓘ Beudantite | PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6 |
| Pb | ⓘ Carminite | PbFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2 |
| Pb | ⓘ Cerussite | PbCO3 |
| Pb | ⓘ Coronadite | Pb(Mn64+Mn23+)O16 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Pb | ⓘ Mimetite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
| Pb | ⓘ Plumbogummite | PbAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6 |
| Pb | ⓘ Pyromorphite | Pb5(PO4)3Cl |
| Pb | ⓘ Mimetite var. Campylite | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
EuropeContinent
UK
- England
- Cumbria
- Caldbeck Fells Mining RegionMining District
- Lake District National ParkNational Park
- LDNPA Amber ZoneMineral Collecting Permit Zone
- Cumbria
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References
Kingsbury, Arthur W. G., Hartley, J. (1960) Carminite and beudantite from the northern part of the Lake District and from Cornwall. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 32 (249) 423-432 doi:10.1180/minmag.1960.032.249.01
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK