The Process of Lead Mining

The Principal Mines at Wanlockhead

Wanlockhead is surrounded by four main mines: The Straitsteps Mine which was opened by Sir James Stampfield in 1675; The Bay Mine which was named after the notorious Botany Bay in Australia; The Lochnell Mine which was opened in 1710 and closed when access was gained to Sraitsteps and is now featured as a Visitor Mine ; The New Glencrieff Mine was started in the early 18th century. It was one of the richest lead mines in Britain and closed in 1931 to reopen in the 1950's, but failed due to high costs and low prices for lead. The mines consist of drifts, which are passages running horizontally and shafts, which run vertically into the hillside.

Bargains

Before miners set to work to mine the galena or lead ore, they would form work gangs of between 10 and 12 men. A headman would negotiate with the mines' agent, a bargain would be struck and a price for the lead would be agreed. The bargain was recorded in writing and each gang may have a different price for the lead they mined. The price was paid on the weight of lead smelted and not of the ore mined.

Gaining the Ore

Mining lead was always very hard and dangerous work. From the early 1740's until around 1890 mining was usually done by one man holding a chisel while his partner hit it with a sledgehammer. Once a suitable hole was created, gunpowder was placed in the hole, a straw fuse attached and lit. After the explosion when the dust had settled, the men would then break up the rock and the lead ore would be taken to the surface for processing.

There were many accidents from falling rock loosened by explosions and from premature ignition of the gunpowder leading to loss of life or limbs. The mines were very dangerous places in which to work.

Pumping Machinery

Flooding of the workings was a constant problem and hindered progress. Rag and chain pumps were used at first then steam driven pump engines were introduced in the late 18th century. James Watts second ever steam engine was the first one to be used at Wanlockhead. It became uneconomical to use due to the dropping price of lead and ceased to be used. Water powered pumps were used effectively and the Wanlockhead Beam Engine is the only remaining example on a mine in the UK today.

	*Dressing the Ore*
	The lead ore was taken to the surface by boys as young as 8, dragged out on sleds, for the 'dressing' process. This is where it is separated from the waste materials prior to smelting. Once the lead ore was separated it was washed and then crushed and washed again until it was clean.

Smelting

Early lead miners would have smelted the ore in a wind blown furnace, but from the 1570's it was usual to smelt the ore in smelt mills. These are usually placed close to the dressing floors and fired by peat, wood or coal, assisted by large bellows to increase the heat. Lime as a flux, made slag from the unwanted minerals. The molten lead from the hearth was poured off into a pot and was then ladled into moulds called ingots or pigs, each weighing approximately 60 Kilos (132 lbs).

The fumes from the smelter contained lead and this was recovered from the flues which were set in the hillside. Silver was also recovered in this way.

The smelt mills were eventually moved outside the village to save the villagers from breathing in harmful fumes from the smelting process.