Tour Mine Experience

History of the Mine

The history of Lochnell Mine extends over a period of 15O years and reflects the various changes which took place in winning the lead ore, draining the workings, organising the miners to carry out their activities, and rewarding them for their efforts.

The part of the mine, which is open to visitors, is described in terms of the minerals found, the methods used in cutting the rock, winning the ore, ventilating the workings, and transporting men and materials to the surface.

The origin of the mine goes back to the early years of the Quaker Company which held leases on the lead veins at Wanlockhead from 1710 to 1756.

Messrs Crawford & Company, who succeeded to the Quaker Company’s Lease between 1756 and 1842, re-opened the trial drifts in 1757 but abandoned them in 1759 because of poor ventilation. This is referred to in the mining records as follows: -

"August 1758 - Williamson's Drift on the south end of the Coves vein, was laid on the 30th July last for want of air. The price was £5 per fathom. The small progress made was owing to the miners not having air enough to enable them to work. In place of six pickmen employed formerly, only two pickmen could work and these only on two or three days in the week...."

The Lochnell Mine Experience

A guided tour of Lochnell Mine gives the visitor a vivid sense of what lead mining was all about - a job which separated the miner physically and, to a large extent, socially from the wider world in which he lived. It concentrated his undivided attention on winning a basic living for himself and his family in conditions, which were always physically dangerous and also hazardous to health.

It taught him, when at work to be dependent on the trustworthiness and comradeship of his mates and this special relationship coloured his leisure time activities too.

The entrance to Lochnell mine is at the south end of Williamson's Drift. After passing through a timbered passage, the drift opens out and has an average height of 7 feet and a width of 4 feet.

Galena

Where the entrance tunnel joins the vein, you can see the first piece of lead ore which was found in the South Cove vein. The lead ore, or galena, at Wanlockhead, yielded about 60% pure lead. This piece of ore is plate-like in shape and was left in the vein by the miners to bring them good luck in their searches.

Galena [PbS] or lead sulphide is the main source of lead [Pb] is a mixture of lead and sulphur. It is widespread in the district and is found along with the common vein minerals such as quartz, calcite, barytes and dolomite. Galena has been the most important commercial mineral found in the locality. It was the basis of the Lead Mining industry which was of economic significance, especially during the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Lead Washer Boys

Gold and lead miners were free men, unlike coal miners and this allowed them to move around from mine to mine. Men came from different parts of Britain and some even from different European countries. Women were not employed down in these mines, but boys as young as 8 years old were expected to start work. They would work in the streams washing the lead ore in all weather conditions, all year round for 2pennies a day. By the age of 12 boys could then work in the mine, hauling out the galena in small troughs or sledges.

Safety

The mine was worked for a further 24 years until it finally closed in 1861. By that time the workings had reached a depth of 500 feet below Thomson’s Drift. Again, closure was caused by the failure of the hydraulic pumping engine to cope with the quantity of water entering the workings, and the ore was still putting-down in the vein when the workings were abandoned. The mine environment was dangerous and men worked without the benefits of modern safety methods. Accidents happened frequently as this report from 1870 shows.

Uses of Lead Today

Lead, being malleable, could be shaped by moulding or cutting for a variety of uses, such as, water pipes, cisterns, bullets, roofs — and even coffin plates! It was expensive to mine and during the lifetime of Lochnell Mine, a miner could earn between £10 and £20 per year which is between 20p and 38p a week! - compared with a farm labourer who at that time earned about £5 per year including bed and board. However, no wages were paid to the miners until all the lead-ore won, had been smelted and sold in Europe, a process which took a year and sometimes two years.

Lead today is the 5th most important metal in the world. If it wasn't for the lead-acid battery, motorists would be unable to start their cars and the milkman would still be using a horse and cart! Lead is the most dense of all materials and that is why it is so good at shielding us from radiation. It is used on roofing, stained glass windows and in hospitals, factories, mines and submarines - in fact it could be called an indispensable metal.