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Rampgill Mine Entrance

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Rampgill and Scaleburn Mines, Nenthead, Cumbria, OS Ref: NY782435.

Rampgill Horse Level we believed was started by the Greenwich Hospital in 1736 following the Scaleburn Moss Vein until it reached Fairhill Vein, this then followed into Rampgill Vein. Rampgill Vein may have been worked as early as 1690. There are references to other veins being worked from much earlier on which join into Rampgill Mine. In 1745 the lease was sold to the London Lead Company who developed the mine at an impressive rate and found the Rampgill Vein and others to be incredibly rich in ore. Altogether Rampgill with all its veins yielded 140,000 tons of lead ore between 1703 and 1886.

By the end of the 19th century most of Rampgill Vein above the water table had been worked out. Between 1899 and 1921 the Vieille Montagne Zinc Company reworked some of the veins in Rampgill Mine and Coalcleugh Mine for zinc ore, with Rampgill Horse Level being used for access to Coalcleugh Mine. The Rampgill Horse Level was also used as a haulage way via the Hanginshaw Branch Level for the eastern workings of the Middlecleugh and Longcleugh Veins in Smallcleugh Mine.

One of major veins in Rampgill Mine, Scaleburn Vein is generally referred to as being part of Rampgill Mine, it is however a sperate mine in its own right and it only used the Rampgill portal as its access point.

Rampgill Mine is very extensive and we have only really been on a few recon trips. It does connect to many other mines in the Nent Valley, one of which being Smallcleugh. Click on each link below for full details and pictures of each trip.

Horse Gin Wheel - Trip to see the Horse Gin in Rampgill.
(Charlie, Karl, Mike, Pete), January 2004.

Rampgill Level to bottom of Proud's Sump

(Eleanor, Karli, Mark), 30th December 2004.

Scaleburn and Brownley Hill Link - More exploration on the Scaleburn Vein and Top Sills.
(Charlie, Karli, Mark, Mike), 26th February 2005.

Hangingshaw Branch Level via Proud's Sump - Is the way to the bottom of the Hydraulic Shaft open?
(Karli and Mike), 24th March 2006.

Rampgill and Hardshins Veins - At last, a long overdue visit down Rampgill.
(Karli, Mike and Peter), 17th July 2006.

Along the Rampgill Vein to the Final Fall - Trip to see the final fall on the Rampgill Vein and some of the stopes above.
(Mike and Peter), 22nd July 2008.

Rampgill Vein and one of the Boundary Stopes - A tour of Rampgill mine for some of Peter's friends from Sub Brit.
(Bob, Gavin, Mike, Richard, Peter and Steve), 10th August 2008.