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.
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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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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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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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Digging
on the East End of the Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein
Having a stab at a
small dig on the east end of the Middlecleugh Second Sun Vein.
(Charlie,
Karli, Mark, Mike and Ryan), 22nd January and 25th February
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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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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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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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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Maypole
Retrieval - A fine trip Karli suggested.
18th October 10, (Karli and
Mike). |
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Incline
Flats Photography Potter - A leisurely Sunday afternoon, photographing the
flats and playing with a new camera.
24th July 2011, (Ian, Karli and Mike).
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Smallcleugh
Flats Potter - Taking a look at the things that we have neglected to see
over the years - it's amazing what there is...
3rd May 2014, (Karli and
Mike). |
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Bell's
Sump - A look at the alternative route down to Rampgill, Hangingshaw
Branch. Three pitches and a rebelay.
24th May 2014, (Chris, Karli and
Mike). |
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Longcleugh
/ Smallcleugh Cross Vein Junction - a look at a ore chute above the
Longcleugh / Smallcleugh Cross Vein Junction.
9th November 2014, (Karli,
Mike and Sal). |
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New
Year's Eve Afternoon Party - a trip to take my 6 year old daughter to the
Ballroom and back.
31st December 2015, (Hannah, Karli, Mike and
Sal). |
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Middlecleugh
Second Sun Vein Stopes - A revisit to the stopes we explored in
2006/2007.
30th January 2016, (Karli, Mike, Pete and
Sal). |
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The
Young'ns MES Christmas Trip and Cook Up- Taking Hannah and Sam around
Smallcleugh via a more adventurous route this time round.
30th December
2016, (Alistair, Hannah, Karli, Mark, Mike and Sam). |
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Middlecleugh
and Middlecleugh North Vein Explore- A non SRT explore of the 2 veins -
finally getting round to it.
2nd December 2017, (Karli and
Mike). |
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Middlecleugh
North Vein Manway Explore - A short trip to check out the platform mayway
we found last time.
17th March 2018, (Karli, Mike and
Pete). |
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Trip
to the Ballroom via Northend Flats - A first time trip for 6 year old Lucy
and an excuse to get the others along as well.
20th February 2019, (Gav,
Hannah, Karli, Lucy, Mike, Pete and Rosie). |
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To
the End of Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein - Back underground at last. A trip of
surprises.
24th July 2021 (Karli and Mike). |
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SRT
Practice - getting back to grips in North End Flats.
5th March 2022
(Karli and Mike). |
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