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Lat/Long: 54.726425, -3.080352
OS
Grid ref: NY 30430 37373
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A sunny drive to fell Side but before long the sky began to
cloud over. I was the first car at the small parking area above
the farm and set off south along the track above Dale Beck that
heads towards the Roughton Gill Mines. O reached the site of the
old Smelt Mill and looked down on the ruins as I passed.
Crossing Hay Gill stream by the footbridge i soon joined the zig
zag path heading up the fell. The first part was deep in ferns
and thankfully they were dry. |
Access track. |
Smelt mill ruins. |
Footbridge. |
Crop patterns. |
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Further up and above the ferns the line of the track was a deep
rut and not good for walking so I had to walk on the higher
ridge. At the head of Birk Gill I had to leave the path and head
SE across the aptly named Birk Moss. The ground was very rough
an wet in places as I headed towards the Hare Stones Mines. I
reached the spoil heaps and climbed one to reach the filled in
mine entrance. |
Mine entrance. |
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The collapsed mine entrance and spoil heaps look like any other
mine but the map calls it a China Clay Mine. The records call it
the Hare Stones Umber Mine and originally iron and manganese
oxide were mined here to use as a colouring pigment. In 1883 it
was used for mining China Clay or Kaolin, an ingredient in the
manufacture of china and porcelain. About 1885 the Cleator Iron
Ore Company acquired the mine, and extracted more Umber until
1894-5 when the mine closed. |
Looking towards Hgh Pike. |
High Pike. |
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I continued climbing up the fell to the rocky outcrops called
the Hare Stones and over the summit reached the main path to
High Pike. The path to the summit is indistinct & wet at first
but eases higher up. I reached the memorial stone bench, summit
cairn and information view plate. I didn’t stop long as a couple
of walkers were approaching. I followed the descent path to the
north and across to Deer Hills where the summit is marked by
nothing, not even a single stone cairn. The descent continued
easily through old mine a quarry workings back down to the start
of the walk. |
High Pike view plate. |
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