MINES OF SOUTH WESTERN SCOTLAND - SUPPLEMENT No 1
In the late 80's I lived in Dalmellington to the north of your subject area
while working at small collieries and large opencast coal mines in the Doon
Valley. Consequently your work is of great interest (and has already
reached 'most favoured' status for bathtime browsing)
I assume that in preparing the book that you effectively set the borders of
your work along the Southern Upland Fault and down the Nith Valley.
In this area in my general potterings I have come across another two mines:
1. Knipe Mine (NS 657 104) - situated near the summit of Hare Hill above New
Cumnock and between Glen Afton & the Nith Valley. This was a small C19
Antimony Mine. Little evidence remains apart from the spoil see:
http://www.mindat.org/loc.php?loc=2872&ob=4
The area has and (I believe is) subject to continuing interest in possible
gold deposits. In fact the whole area between Glen Afton and Carsphairn has
been subject to intermittent drilling for gold.
2. Black Craig (NX 527 924) - situated to the south east of the Woodhead
Lead Mine complex at Carsphairn. It consists of a single rising adit and
associated spoil heap high on the ridge of Cairnsgarroch (itself a
subsidiary summit of Meaul). It is my understanding that the mine was a
successful trial for haematite and that there were other trials on the
western side of the main Rhinns of Kells ridge along Loch Doon. I was never
able to find the western trials and assume that they are now hidden below
the dense conifer afforestation. I know little about these trials (I have
read somewhere in the distant past that the deposit was large enough to
justify mining, but the cost of establishing transport links suitable for
bulk ore were prohibitively expensive).
Congratulations on your excellent publication!
Regards
Graham Owens
***
From Graham Owens
My last visit to the Black Craig mine was the only time that I had explored
the adit. Unfortunately torch batteries failed approximately 50 m in, but I
got the impression that the adit extended a considerable distance ahead
(common sense at this point kicked in, it was a solo unplanned trip
approached from the Loch Doon side of the Rhinns of Kells!).
I have looked through the limited references I have to the mines and came
across:
1. 2nd Statistical Account of Scotland: 1845: County of Kirkcudbright:
Parish of Carsphain
In reference to the discovery of lead on the estate of Hon Col M Cathcart it
is noted that "Iron has likewise been discovered on the same estate and in
the same neighbourhood"
2. The Merrick and the Neighbouring Hills: J McBain: Jackson & Sproat
Publishing: 1980 pgs 95-96
These are a series of walking transcripts that must have actually written
somewhere around 1920. In a description of walks over the Rhinns of Kells
the following is noted in describing the saddle between Coran of Portmark
and Meul
"I presume that the pedestrian has got thus far with the intention in his
patrol of the ridge, of taking a particular as well as a comprehensive view
of his surroundings, for, in addition to the view, there are details at hand
that may be considered not unworthy of his consideration. He has already
seen evidence of the existence of lead in the rock formation of these
mountains. If
he will go down the declivity some hundreds of feet towards Loch Doon and
proceed along the face of the hill towards Carlins Cairn, he will find proof
that there is also iron. He will come upon the debris of the larger of two
horizontal tunnels that were made a good many years ago driven into the
mountain by an iron company prospecting for iron ore. They found a deposit
of very rich heamatite ore, but they also found that the quantity was too
limited to justify the laying down of a railway from Dalmellington, and the
experiment never got beyond the prospecting stage. Even the layman can
judge that the vein is of unusual richness by examining a specimen from the
large heap at the mouth of the tunnel. A copious stream of most delightful
clear cold water used to issue from the boring, but it has been blocked up
and the water has ceased to flow"
3. The Dalmellington Iron Company, Its Engines and Men: David L Smith: David
& Charles: 1967
Just a wee aside regarding the Woodhead Mines, this book notes that David
Smith who was an important manager within the DIC (which ultimately became
part of the large industrial combine Wm Baird & Company - Bairds and
Dalmellington Ltd) was a shepherds boy at Garryhorn, Carsphairn, where he
first studied the operations of mining at the Woodhead lead mines. David
Smith had supervised the DIC collieries in the vicinity of Dalmellington in
the 1860-70s and was appointed DIC General Mining Manager in 1884.
It should also be noted that the area to the immediate west on the flanks of
Mullwharchar was proposed as one of the initial sites proposed by NIREX for
a nuclear waste depository. The application for planning permission for
drilling became a cause celebre for the anti-nuclear movement and probably
the last mass action by the Doon Valley NUM. Needless to say the drilling
rigs stayed away!
I trust that this may be of interest and or use!
Kind regards
Graham
***
Macleod, Innes, 1986 Discovering Galloway. 280 pp, illus. Edinburgh, John
Donald Publishers Ltd. SB £7.50 [1990 ed]
p 32-33 Limestone for fertiliser was quarried at Torrorie NGR NX 964 570,
near Mainsriddle (kiln and shaft), and west of Southerness Point, NGR NX 970
542 (kiln and quarry) in the nineteenth century. Both Explorer 313.
p 33 Only one coal mine shaft seems have been sunk. This was recorded on
the 1849 OS Six Inch survey at Rascarrel Bay NGR NX 809 483, Explorer 313.
p 33 Auchencairn, Airyhill, Airds, Blackcraig.
p 34 Leadhill and Wanlockhead. Blackcraig, Pibble, Woodhead, Knockibae,
Coldstream Burn, Cruive-End Bridge and Wood of Cree. Craigton NGR NX 433
652 in Rough Park Wood and Path Hill. Cairnsmore, Bargaly, Wicklow Wood and
Cuil, both at Palnure. Balloch |Burn, Culchronchie and Pibble. Meikle
Bennan, Lauchentyre. Near Gatehouse-of-Fleet and not mentioned in my book
are Kirkbride [Kings Laggan?] NGR NX 569 567 and Bar Hill NGR NX 603 541,
both on Explorer 312.
p 34 Clennochburn Head Mine NGR NS 622 006 Explorer 328 north east of
Cainsmore of Carsphairn.
p 34 Green Hill and Moorbrack Hill south of Clennochburn Head have recently
(1982/83) been surveyed by BP Minerals International, who also planned to
sink twenty bore holes in 1984/85 in the hunt for copper, lead, zinc, silver
and gold.
p 34 Silver Rigg Mine, Mary Mine.
p 35 Waulk Mill, Enrick Mine, Doon of Culreoch [Drumruck], Hestan Island,
Colvend, Piper’s Cave. Damellington iron mines in Ayrshire. Coran of
Portmark iron mine NGR NX 503 938 near Woodhead, and Auchinleck.
p 35 Talnotry, [Craighandle], Grey Mare’s Tail, Black Lock, and Glendinning
[Louisa].
p 74 Iron age smelting at Genoch Sands near Glenluce.
p 132 Piper’s Cave (copper mine).
p 133 Copper Pit NGR NX 868 528 at the east end of Glenstock Sands.
p 150 The `cave’ on Billies is probably a gallery worked by miners
prospecting for copper [NGR NX 723 572]. Explorer 312
p 150 An extraordinary 400 m long rock tunnel (now sealed) was found 30 feet
below the ground on Boatcroft with vertical shafts to the wood above.
Possibly worked by miners during the early nineteenth century copper and
lead-mining mania period [NGR NX 736 597] Explorer 312
p 157 There is evidence of lead-mining activity beside Garpol Burn, above
the bridge, [NGR NX 645 809] Explorer 319
p 160 A galena mine shaft at Clennochburn NS 622 006. Woodhead.
p 161 The haematite mine, or rather trail shaft, at Coran of Portmark NGR
NX 503 938, is amazingly inaccessible. Dunaskin Iron Works.
p 163 Craigshinne Burn (lead-mining adit in the forest at NGR NX 585 793
Explorer 312
p 172 Iron ore from Auchinleck was sent for smelting to Birmingham.
p 173 Auchencairn, ore sent to Swansea. Coal-mining shaft on the shore at
Rascarrel Bay NGR NX 809 482. Barytes mine and Airyhill.
p 181 There are lead-mining shafts in the Bar Hill wood NGR NX 603 541
p 186 Old lead mines on Kirkbride NGR NX 569 567 and Lauchentyre.
p 187 South of the B 796 there are the old lead mines on Meikle Bennan NGR
NX 551 615 Explorer 312 [Rusko?]
p 192 Balloch Burn [= Englishman’s Burn], Pibble.
p 193 Palnure, Wicklow Wood NGR NX 475 635, Bargaly, and Cairnsmore.
Craigton, East & West Blackcraig.
p 195 Talnotry, Grey Mares Tail and Black Loch, and a possible copper
venture beside Pulran Burn NGR NX 522 749
p 201 Wood of Cree, Coldstream Burn and Silver Rig.
p 225 Mary Mine.
p 241 Knockibae
***
Pibble Mine
Odling, Nic 1998 Pibble Mine Site of Special Scientific Interest. Earth
Science Management Brief Project. Geological Conservation Review Interest:
Mineralogy of Scotland. 36 pp, 12 photos, 8 figs.
Talnotry Mine
Odling, Nic 1998 Talnotry Mine Site of Special Scientific Interest. Earth
Science Management Brief Project. Geological Conservation Review Interest:
Caledonian Igneous. 50 pp, 16 photos, 13 figs.
***
Prof Tom Elliott mentions some limestone mines near Dumfries. Does anybody
have details please?
***
Corrections, criticisms, and suggestions of any kind will be received by the
author with gratitude, promptly acknowledged, and incorporated in the book
at the earliest opportunity.
Advertisement:
THE MINES OF SOUTH WESTERN SCOTLAND by Tony Oldham 2005. 35 pp, 5 surveys
cum location maps, 18 colour photos including colour front and rear covers.
The mines of south-western Scotland are virtually unknown to most of the
inhabitants of England and Wales. In many ways it is a lost and forgotten
area. An area of wild beauty, noted more for its agriculture and scenery
than for its industries. It has never been of great importance as a centre
of mining; nevertheless the scattered occurrences of metalliferous ores that
have been worked from time to time are relatively poorly covered in
literature. The two main works by G V Wilson (1921) and James R
Foster-Smith (1967) are long out of print and difficult to obtain. This
present work hopes to overcome this problem by recording those deposits,
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small-scale mining continued as late as 1954. Laminated covers. £5.00
Ask for our list of mining books for sale.
d:\galloway\min-supp.doc 13/07/05
Cheers - Tony Oldham
Duncavin
1 Riverside Mews
CARDIGAN
SA43 1DH
United Kingdom
http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/speleo/guides.html
http://www.showcaves.com
http://www.mike.munro.cwc.net/mining/tony_o/tonyo_hp.htm
http://www.stonemanfamily.co.uk/
>From: Peter Davidson <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "The mining-history list." <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: MINES OF SOUTH WESTERN SCOTLAND - SUPPLEMENT No 1
>Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 12:35:33 +0100
>
>Tony
>
>Just read your recent e-mail regarding the Mines of SW Scotland. I would
>be very interested in a copy for the Museum Library. Indeed I would be
>very interested in any publication about mines/mineralogy in Scotland.
>
>Many Thanks
>
>Peter Davidson
>Curator of Minerals
>Department of Natural Sciences
>National Museums of Scotland
>Chambers Street
>Edinburgh
>EH1 1JF
>Scotland
>Tel: 00 44 131 247 4283
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>Tony Oldham
>Sent: 12 July 2005 10:51
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: MINES OF SOUTH WESTERN SCOTLAND - SUPPLEMENT No 1
>
>MINES OF SOUTH WESTERN SCOTLAND - SUPPLEMENT No 1
>
>This has just been published and suprisingly, it is available for free.
>
>Just email me.
>
>
>Cheers - Tony Oldham
>Duncavin
>1 Riverside Mews
>CARDIGAN
>SA43 1DH
>United Kingdom
>
>http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/speleo/guides.html
>http://www.showcaves.com
>http://www.mike.munro.cwc.net/mining/tony_o/tonyo_hp.htm
>http://www.stonemanfamily.co.uk/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Cheers - Tony Oldham
>Duncavin
>1 Riverside Mews
>CARDIGAN
>SA43 1DH
>United Kingdom
>
>http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/~arb/speleo/guides.html
>http://www.showcaves.com
>http://www.mike.munro.cwc.net/mining/tony_o/tonyo_hp.htm
>http://www.stonemanfamily.co.uk/
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