Old Cumbria Gazetteer
 |
 |
|
| place:- | coal mine, Borrowdale | |
| locality:- | Borrowdale | |
| parish |
Stainmore parish, once in
Westmorland
| |
| county:- | Cumbria | |
| coal mine; mine | ||
| coordinates:- |
NY8315
| |
| 10Km square:- |
NY81
| |
| Could this be Cabbish Mine? | ||
| 1Km square | NY8315 | |
| hearsay |
A report of of a visit to a coal mine at Borrowdale, near
Brough, was published in the Herald, 1900s:-
Entering a low building, close to the pit mouth, I found it to be a pony stable, with two stalls, and beyond a fireplace. A rumble at the opening of the main level of the pit indicated that coal was coming to the surfcae and a minute afterwards two horses, each with two tubs of caol, emerged from the pit mouth. I galdly accepted the offer to go into the pit, and donning an old torn jacket, and with an old sack to sit on, I mounted an empty tub, and off we started on our half mile ride into the bowels of the earth. Armd with two inches of candle stuck in a bit if clay, and preceded by the driver on the first tub, off we started. In a minute it was stone dark, except for the faint glimmer of our two candles, and a moment afterwards I lost mine over the edge of the tub. The low roof came down so dangerously that I had to duck my head, and the working was so narrow that I more than once struck the sides with my elbows. A rather unusual rattle and a bang, and our driver pulled up stating that we ere off the road. Squeezing myself against the rocky side of the track, I stood clear of the tub, and it was lifted onto the rails again, and off we started. Once I brushed the roof with my head, and another time struck my elbow with a projecting rock. On we plodded in the darkness, and presently a faint light ahead and the murmur of voices showed that we had reached the miners. Eight candles lighted, eight fellows seated on a plank eating their lunch. Lunch over they wended their way to the cross workings, small burrows not more than 2ft 6in high. At the very end of the main level they were excavating rock and shale, and carrying it into the exhausted workings. By this time the laden tubs were ready, and my guide gave me a candle and the reins and off we started on a half mile trip to the sunlight and liberty. | |
| Old Cumbria Gazetteer - JandMN: 2008 | ||
Lakes Guides
menu.
email:- JandMN@norgate.freeserve.co.uk
Other projects
Geography Department, Portsmouth University