Ken,
The Borrowdale graphite occurred as pipes and veinlets in a dolerite dyke
and associated volcanics, much more akin to metal mineralisation than a
typical coal seam. The last time I clambered over the waste dumps in the
late 70s you could still pick up fairly pure chunks of graphite up to
several inches across.
Postlethwaite's 'Mines and Mining in the English Lake District' has a brief
but useful account, pages 111 - 114. The text suggests that some of it was
indeed very pure and worth a lot of money at the time.
Cheers
Ian Hodkinson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken J Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 12:32 PM
Subject: Graphite
> Dear All,
>
> Would I be right in thinking that the occurences of graphite in the UK
> (chiefly around Keswick) were in veins/lodes, rather than in seams like
> coal? And how pure was the mineral as mined?
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Kindest regards,
> Ken (Smith).
>
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