Harehope Gill Lead Mine - Father Hilarious

There is a short walk from Frosterley along the Weardale Way which allows us to wander the ruins of Harehope Gill Lead Mine, and look into the remains of the larger and more modern limestone quarry. At time of writing Harehope Quarry is managed to provide opportunities for diverse wildlife to flourish: a mixture of grasslands interspersed with ponds and streams. The owners provide permissive access so that we can all enjoy the area., and there is a link to their website here.

During a visit I took my Pentax MX with a 50mm lens and some Ilford HP5 black and white film.

I found a dry riverbed, and learned that because of the limestone pavement, the river has merely fallen below ground level in these drier months. It was interesting to be able to walk on the bottom of the river and see into the bottom of dry waterfalls.

Harehope Gill Lead Mine ruins are hidden in woodland and easy to miss. There are the remains of the mill building and the way the water was channelled to make it work. The woodland also contains depressions where the mineral ores were excavated.

To the east of the ancient lead mine, the Weardale Way leads up the hillside with views down in the more recent limestone quarry.