Caplecleugh Mine - Low / Horse level

Caplecleugh Mine - Low or Horse Level, Nenthead, Cumbria.

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The earliest workings along the Caplecleugh Vein and its branches were via shafts which gave access to the Firestone Sill. The adit for the Caplecleugh Horse Level orginally gave access to a set of different mines, Peatstack, Brigal Burn and Dowgang.

At the beginning of the 19th century the London Lead Company leased the Caplecleugh series of veins and between 1819 and 1825 began driving the current level along the Brigal Burn Vein, then south along the Black Ashgill Cross Vein (also know as the Caplecleugh Cross Vein on LLC plans). At the end of this drive the Caplecleugh Vein was reached. This is the level known today that gives access to the Caplecleugh Mine complex which reaches Whitesike in the west and Smallcleugh in the east.

After the LLC in the late 1800's Caplecleugh was worked by the Nenthead and Tynedale Lead and Zinc Company. Then it was finally taken over and reworked by the Vieille Montagne Zinc Company for zinc.

	Caplecleugh Low Horse Level Surface Features Views of remains around the level. Updated 13/10/07.		Caplecleugh to Smallcleugh An exploration turned into a through trip. (Karli, Mark and Mike), 22nd January 2005.
	Middlecleugh North Vein Stopes above Caplecleugh Horse Level Return trip to these stopes that we discovered via Smallcleugh. (Alistair, Karli, Mike and Peter), 18th November 2006.		Explore of the West Side of Caplecleugh Horse Level First exploration of the horse level right up to the 'rail' flats before Caplecleugh Shaft. (Karl, Karli, and Mike), 24th February 2007.
	West Side Forehead Fall and Stopes Return visit to the west side of Caplecleugh Horse Level, reaching the forehead fall. (Alistair and Mike), 8th August 2008.		Caplecleugh North Vein and Stopes Around Archer's Rise Return visit to the North Vein and the stopes above it, as well as a quick look around Archer's Rise (Helen and Mike), 12th December 2008.
	Isolated Eastern section of the Caplecleugh Horse Level We found this part of Caplecleugh a number of years ago, this was a return visit to this section east of the Cowhill Cross Vein via Smallcleugh. (Karli, Mike and Pete), 13th December 2008.		Caplecleugh North Vein A visit to the ventilation fan on the remote North Vein. (Ben, Helen and Mike), 7th November 2008.
	Stopes around Archers, Hewitson's and Barron's Rises Further look around the stopes at the base of Archer's Rise and the very interesting area between Hewitson's and Barron's Rises. (Karli, Kate and Mike), 5th July 2009.		Dowgang Branch and Loaded Ore Truck Workings A return visit to the Ore Truck Workings to finish off taking photographs, taking in enroute the Dowgang Branch. (Karli, Mike and Pete), 3rd December 2016.