The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Thorngill Lead Mine
Nenthead (Settlement), Cumberland (County [UK]), England
View Larger MapDescription of institution: Geolocation approximate.
From the url, a scanned document discussing the Nenthead Mines, of which it appears Thorngill was one (see near the bottom of text)
Browng il l Ve i n system and .other east-west ve in s
The Browng il l Ve i n is regarded as the principal channel of mineralisation in
the Nenthead region (Dunham, 1948). To the west and north of Garrigi l l
(N Y744415), the vein strfkes at 079 ° and i t i s known as the Dryburn Washp ool
Vein. To the NW of Garrig il l, th e Tyne bottom Mine {NY738419) worked f lats in
the Tynebottom Limestone adjacent to the Browngill Vein, but the grade of ore in
these flats was less than comparable f l ats in the Great Limestone (Wallace, 1861) .
A l ine of shafts and surf ace workings alongside the Garrigi l l to Nenthead
road marks the position of the Browngi l l Ve i n to the east of Garrigi l l. This
ground was developed from the Wi kesike Level (NY756426). In the neighbourhood of Longho l ehead Whimsey (NY770423), the Browng ill Vein strikes roughly
east- west, bu t 500m east of the whimsey the vein turnson to an ESE trend and
Dun ham ( 1948) stated that the vein curves into the NNW Archy's Vein.
Observations underground in the Cap l ecleugh Mine suggest that the Browngill Vein
continues th r ou gh Archy ' s an d Black Ashgill cross veins on the ESE trend as
Longc leugh Vein . Evidence given by Wal l ace (1856) supports th i s assertion.
East of the Carr's· Cross Vein (NY793 418), the Longc l eugh Vein appears to
curve sharp l y on to a NE strik ing trend. In addition, Dunham {1948) suggested
that the Middlecleugh veins also curve.off on the nor th side of the Browng i ll
Ve i n. However, in the sub - leve l s between the Smallcleugh and Caplecleugh l eve ls, the Middlecleugh 2nd Su n Vein is cut t hroug h by the Browngill Ve i n and
continues on the SW s ide of the latter. This suggests that the Middlecleugh 2nd
Sun Vein is a norma l ENE vein and is cut by the l ater Browngill Vein. A s imil ar
explanation may be i nvoked to account for the NE port i on of the Longcleugh Vein
a~d the main Browng il l f racture may continue to the ESE.
Severa l other i mportant east-west veins occur i n the Nenthead area . To the
north, the Slote- Thorngill Vein wa s worked f or l ead and baryto - calcite at the
Blagil l Mi ne {NY740476) . Redgrooves Vein ( NY740449) and the Hudgi llburn veins
(NY752448) are arranged en-eche l on along a ESE line and the Rampgill 2nd Sun
Vein (NY790439) is another east- west vei n.
Other Links: https://pdmhs.co.uk/MiningHistory/Bulletin%209-1%20-%20The%20History%20and%20Workings%20of%20the%20Nenthead%20Mines,%20Cumbria.pdf -