Long Meg Mine
Encyclopedia
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
just north of Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld is a small village within the Eden district of Cumbria, England, a few miles to the north east of Penrith and within the parish of Hunsonby.-History:The manor at Little Salkeld was confirmed by King Edward I in 1292...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
in the area known as Cave Wood Valley. It was operated between 1880 and 1976.
History
The Long Meg Plaster Company Ltd. was established in 1880, driving an underground drift upon which operations commenced in 1885. In 1886 a standard gauge extension line was connected to the site from the Settle-Carlisle RailwaySettle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
(a distance of around 0.35 km). The workforce in this year is recorded as being 12 (all Surface), the name of the mine Long Meg Drift and agent A.K.Busby.
In 1902 the workforce is recorded as being 26 (12 Underground and 14 Surface). By 1914 however this figure had dropped to 6 (4 Underground and 2 Surface) and the mine was abandoned on an unknown date in 1914/1915. The operator at this time was the Carlisle Plaster and Cement Company Ltd.
The mine was re-opened in 1922 for the extraction of anhydrite
Anhydrite
Anhydrite is a mineral – anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4. It is in the orthorhombic crystal system, with three directions of perfect cleavage parallel to the three planes of symmetry. It is not isomorphous with the orthorhombic barium and strontium sulfates, as might be expected from the...
by the Long Meg Plaster and Mineral Company Ltd. This was purchased in 1939 by the British Plaster Board Ltd. (now known as British Gypsum). Until its closure in January 1976 its workforce fluctuated between 12 and 29 (4 and 22 Underground; 4 and 18 Surface).
The 1 millionth tonne of anhydrite
Anhydrite
Anhydrite is a mineral – anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4. It is in the orthorhombic crystal system, with three directions of perfect cleavage parallel to the three planes of symmetry. It is not isomorphous with the orthorhombic barium and strontium sulfates, as might be expected from the...
was shipped to the plant in Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
on May 20, 1959 and before closure over 5 million tonnes were extracted.
The mine owned several locomotives used to shunt carts between the mine, the plaster mill and the Settle-Carlisle Railway
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
junction. A 0-4-0 Barclay locomotive named "W.S.T." (after the plaster company's deputy chairman William Steuart Trimble) that was delivered to the site on the 10th June 1954 and was transferred in 1969 now resides at the Bowes Railway
Bowes Railway
The Bowes Railway, built by George Stephenson in 1826, is the world's only preserved operational standard gauge cable railway system. It was built to transport coal from Durham pits to boats on the River Tyne. Only part of the system now remains.-Background:...
in Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
.
Present day
Today the mine is in a poor state of repair however much of the site can be viewed from the public footpath that runs along the banks of the River EdenRiver Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
to from Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld
Little Salkeld is a small village within the Eden district of Cumbria, England, a few miles to the north east of Penrith and within the parish of Hunsonby.-History:The manor at Little Salkeld was confirmed by King Edward I in 1292...
to Lacy's Caves
Lacy's Caves
Lacy's Caves are a series of 5 chambers in the sandstone cliff of River Eden, just north of Little Salkeld, Cumbria, England at .They are named after Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Lacy of Salkeld Hall, who commissioned their carving in the 18th century...
. The rail tracks have not been lifted in many places and the public footpath follows its path with metalwork and sleepers exposed. The signal box used for the branch line still exists but like the mine's buildings has been left to decay. Various objects have been left on the site, including train carts. What appears to be an entrance to the drift has been filled in. The newer buildings have "Danger - Keep out" signs, however in the area occupied by the older buildings there appear to be no fences or notices from the main footpath. The site has clearly been used by the public in recent years and various buildings are adorned with graffiti.