Smallcleugh Mine from what we can gather was started in about 1770,
looking for the continuation of Hanginshaw's West of Nent Vein, but this was
soon abandoned. In 1787 the work was restarted by an agent for the London Lead
Company along the Smallcleugh Cross Vein which produced an immense quantity of
ore. There where also many other rich veins worked from Smallcleugh -
Middlecleugh (and 1st and 2nd Sun Veins), Longcleugh, and Great Cross. The mine
over the years was also worked by the Nenthead and Tynedale Lead and Zinc
Company and Vieille Montagne Zinc Company. Most of the operations in
Smallcleugh had come to an end around the 1900's. In 1963 the mine was briefly
reopened in pursuit of new ore reserves, but little large scale mining took
place. A famous occurrence at the mine was the dinner party held down it. On
September 2nd 1901, 28 members of the local Masonic branch held a dinner down
the mine in a large stope know today as the Ballroom Flat.
It is often
assumed that Smallcleugh Mine extends all the way to Bogg Shaft and beyond, as
these are reached via the Smallcleugh portal, however Smallcleugh originally
only went as far as the Longcleugh Vein past the Ballroom, and the beginnings
of the Middlecleugh Vein and Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein. The area past this
which covers Carr's Cross Vein, Cow Hill Cross Vein, Barron's Sump Chamber and
beyond are is in fact a separate mine called Longcleugh Mine, which was
originally worked by shafts.
Smallcleugh Mine is the one that everyone
knows and goes down. We have been going down this mine on and off since 1988.
It is very impressive and extensive with multiple flats, circular routes and
connections to Middlecleugh, Rampgill, Carr's and Caplecleugh Mines. .
Click on each link below for full details and pictures of each
trip.
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Smallcleugh Surface Features - Surface features around the
mine site.
Updated 20/02/09. |
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General Mine Sights - Pictures that we have taken over the
years from all parts of the mine.
Updated 23/12/08. |
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Trips 2004: |
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Proud's Sump - We
had read a trip report about Proud's Sump. Sounding interesting, we had a look
ourselves.
(Charlie, Karl, Mike, Pete), Jan 04 and (Charlie, Mike), 15th
April 04. |
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Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein -
Trip to find the location of shafts linking into Capelcleugh mine.
(Charlie, Mike), 15th April 04. |
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Proud's Sump and Carr's Level - We
met up with Karli from Nenthead and popped down Proud's Sump to see if we could
get into Carr's Level.
(Charlie, Karli, Mike), 12th June
04. |
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Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein and Sub
Levels - A trip to explore the sub levels and a drop down into Capelcleugh.
(Charlie, Karli, Mark, Mike), 31st July 04. |
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Smallcleugh Cross Vein
and Sub Level - Exploration of the sub level below this passage.
(Charlie, Karli, Mike), 1st August 04. |
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Bogg Shaft and Middlecleugh Level
- Visit to Bogg Shaft and up into Middlecleugh Level.
(Aubrey, Ambrose,
Charlie, Karli, Mike), 21st August 04. |
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Baron's Sump - Trip to try
and find this magnificent chamber.
(Charlie, Karli, Karl, Mike, Pete), 1st
October 04. |
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Baron's Sump
Revisited - Trip to explore the Baron's Sump area and to try and get up
into the Low Flats.
(Charlie, Karli, Mark and Mike), 14th November
04. |
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Trips 2005: |
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The
end of Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein - A trip to tie up some loose ends and
to see the forehead of Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein.
(Charlie, Karli, and
Mike), 9th July 05. |
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Beyond
Bogg Shaft 1 - Exploration of the stopes past Bogg Shaft and the forehead
of Longcleugh Vein.
(Charlie, Karli, and Mike), 28th July
05. |
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Old
Fan Flats and The Letter Box - Back to basics, having a look at the things
you pass by and flash powder photography.
(Karli, Mark and Mike), 8th
October 05. |
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Smallcleugh
to a Unknow Level - Part 1 - Exploring the sublevel on Smallcleugh Cross
Vein leading to questions...
(Karli, Mark and Mike), 9th October
05. |
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Middlecleugh
Vein - After waiting over 17 years, finally we get to see this part of the
mine.
(Mike and Peter), 19th November 05. |
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Smallcleugh
to a Unknown Level (Through Trip to Carr's Level) - Part 2 - Concluding the
investigation of the Smallcleugh Cross Vein Sublevels.
(Karli and Mike),
20th November 05. |
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Cross
Vein Sublevels and Sumps - Returning back to the sump we found in the
Letter Box area of the Smallcleugh Cross Vein.
(Karli and Mike), 5th
December 05. |
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Trips 2006: |
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First
& Second Sun Veins and Santa's Grotto - Looking at the far east side of
Smallcleugh and huntng out fabled grottos.
(Charlie and Mike), 20th January
06. |
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Unkown
Flats below Smallcleugh - Amazing little seen or unknown flats below
Smallcleugh, practically under your feet.
(Charlie, Karli, Mark and Mike),
21st January 06. |
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Hydraulic
Shaft - Seeing the bottom of the shaft for the first time, its open and the
level is clear.
(Charlie, Karli, Mike and Ryan), 25th February
06. |
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High
Flats and Smallcleugh Flats and Maypole Testing - It's May, only one thing
you can do, get a maypole and climb up it underground.
(Ambrose, Charlie,
Karli, Mark and Mike), 6th May 06. |
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Looking at
the ends of veins around the Barron's Sump area - Putting to bed the veins
around Longcleugh Mine. (Karli and Mike), 3rd June 06. |
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Bogg
Shaft and Middlecleugh Vein Stopes - Discovering that Bogg Shaft has had a
collapse, on the brighter side we found new large stopes on Middlecleugh Vein.
(Alistair, Karli and Mike), 24th June 06. |
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Middlecleugh Vein Stopes and Sub Levels- Further exploration of the stopes
and getting a mud bath which would cost a fortune in a spa.
(Karli and
Mike), 14th July 06. |
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Beyond
Bogg Shaft 2 - More exploration of the sublevels and stopes past Bogg Shaft
at the forehead of Longcleugh Vein.
(Ambrose, Mike, Phil, and Rich), 11th
September 06. |
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Beyond
Bogg Shaft 3 - Surveying the sublevels and stopes found on the last trip.
(Alistair, Karli, Mike and Peter), 30th September 06. |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun and Longcleugh Vein Stopes - Part 1 - First explore of these
warren like stopes and veins. (Karli, Mike and Peter), 9th December
06. |
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Smallcleugh
Cross Vein Sumps - Putting to rest the questions of which sumps are open
and which are blocked.
(Karli and Mike), 10th December
06. |
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Trips 2007: |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun and Longcleugh Vein Stopes - Part 2 - Second visit to these
complex stopes, carrying on surveying and checking sublevels.
(Karli and
Mike), 20th January 07. |
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East Side of
Longcleugh Vein - Exploring the flats and strings on the Longcleugh Vein
past the Ballroom.
(Alistair, Karl and Mike), 23rd February
07. |
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Sub
Levels and Stopes Under Wheel Flats - Looking for the large flat that is
marked on the VM abandoment plan.
(Mike and Pete), 9th March
07. |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun and Longcleugh Vein Stopes - Part 3 - Finishing the stopes off
on the Middlecleugh Sun Vein side and finding more sublevels on the Longcleugh
Vein.
(Karli, Mike and Pete), 10th March 07. |
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Barron's
Sump, Sublevel - Exploring Atkinson's Sump and sublevels on the east side
of Cowhill Cross Vein, along Longcleugh Vein.
(Karli and Mike), 3rd
November 07. |
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Wheel
Flats, Sublevels - Maypoling up a sublevel rise that we first found in
2006.
(Karl, Mike and Pete), 24th November 07. |
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Trips 2008: |
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Bogg Shaft and
Rigging - A trip to have a look at the current state of Bogg Shaft and to
install some permanent rigging for access.
12th January 08, (Karli, Mike,
Pete, Tony and Wendy). |
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Photography Practice with LED Lighting - Pictures and then some more
pictures and then some......
24th February 08, (Mike and Pete).
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Smallcleugh Work Weekend - Hauling in loads of timber to shore up the
bulges and the fall on the Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein.
19 / 20th July 08,
(Dave, Dean, Helen, Mike, Pete, Dog Pete, Roy, and Soot). |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun Vein - West End - Part 1 - Looking around the west end of the
MCSSV.
13th December 08, (Karli, Mike, and Pete). |
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Trips 2009: |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun Vein - West End - Part 2 - Further exploration of the stopes
around the west end of the MCSSV, plus a look at the re-rigged ladder at Bogg
Shaft.
17th January 09, (Mike, and Pete). |
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Bogg
Shaft Stopes on the Longcleugh Vein - Exploration of the stopes on the east
side of Bogg Shaft.
21st February 09, (Karli, Mike, Pete and Dog Pete).
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