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Hi Margaret Thankyou for your response, it certainly gives more avenues for thought. The levels as you say are mainly for drainage. Winchester came into ownership of lead mines in Wensleydale through his marriage to Mary Leppington daughter of the last of the Scropes (of Bolton Castle), at the time the Cobscar Vein was in full production and at the time was said to have produced a profit of £200,000 (this was more likely the value of lead produced from which working costs should be subtracted). No doubt this success led him to invest in other mines. He also had the Hurst mines in Swaledale. Jim Rieuworts has been helping me with some of the Derbyshire surnames which appear in Wensleydale in connection with Cobscar Vein. The only other reference which I have to any other mines is this one. 22 Charles 11. 1670 June 16. Declaration of trust between Thomas Wandall, citizen and merchant Taylor of London and Charles, Lord St John of Basing, son and heir of the Marquis of Winchester, recites a deed of 5th May 1670 whereby Humphrey Wharton of Curbythure, Co Westmorland Esq. Leased for 1000 years to John Grobham of How Langer, Co Nottinghamshire Esq. Thomas Wandall and Claver citizen and grocer of London several Lead mines (named and described) in the parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham Co Durham: Thomas Wandell declares that his name is used in the said lease in trust only for Charles Lord St John. There is another document in the British library relating to his mining ventures, but I haven't had chance to see that yet, I was hoping someone else might have it. It seems surprising that regardless of £1000 being spent at the end of the 17th cent on one mining venture, the only smoking gun is one passing sentence in one letter. Interestingly at the same time the Marquis's house in london was destroyed by fire (along with Lord Wharton's and others in the same street), no doubt many documents were destroyed then. Regards Ian Spensley