A shaft and dressing plant for lead-mining. This particular plant was at Glencrieff, in the Wanlockhead and Leadhills mining districts in Scotland, and belonged to the Wanlockhead Company. Lead mining, which had flourished in the early Victorian period, declined in Britain as cheaper imported lead became available. In the "Review of Mining" at the beginning of the July 1919 issue of The Mining Magazine," the point is made that "[t]hese fine old mines have plenty of life left in them, provided the temporary adverse conditions can be weathered" (8) The manager of the company, John Mitchell, writes in his own article in the issue: "That there is a large future for these mines I am firmly convinced, but the plan of operations to ensure success should be such as would enable work to be carried on at a greater depth, and on a larger scale than ever has been done in the past" (14). There were many such plants in the north of England too, all facing an uncertain future.
Scanned image and text by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2011. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the source and (2) link your document to this URL or cite it in a print one.]
Related Material
- "The Yorkshire Dales in Victorian Times, Part I" (another lead-mining area)
References
"Review of Mining." The Mining Magazine. Vol. 21 (July 1919): 7-10. Internet Archive. Web. 28 August 2011.
Mitchell, John. "The Wanlockhead Lead Mines." The Mining Magazine. Vol. 21 (July 1919): 11-20. Internet Archive. Web. 28 August 2011.Last modified 28 August 2011