The Industrial Revolution

Centuries before the railways brought industrialisation to the valleys, enterprising miners had excavated the North Pennines for minerals. Certainly there have been known to be substantial deposits of lead mined throughout the area (known to have been used in the baths at Pompei) and today there are two excellent lead mine visitor centres near Alston. In addition tin, copper and coal were also excavated. There is still evidence of ancient circular "bell pits" dug for coal, and the drift mines, large and mostly small have been worked throughout the area wherever someone's "nose" smelt out coal - usually of a high quality. You can see the remains of some bell pits beside the Maiden Way between Burnstones and Lambley and grassed-over pit heaps are often to be detected. More lasting, perhaps, has been the humour and resilience of the descendants of the miners and quarrymen, railwaymen and engineers who once filled the terraces, pubs and chapels to overflowing.

The railway required feats of construction to deal with the terrain and also produced one of the loveliest signal boxes at Haltwhistle Station, now listed along with the Water Tower, ticket office and station master's house.

Haltwhistle Burn, now a haven of peace for walkers and wildlife alike, once hummed with pottery, coal mine and quarry traffic along its little railway line, attracting other industries into the area, too. The best way to appreciate the energy and industry of the area is to read John Parker's book, "Haltwhistle and Beyond."