The northern Pennines in Co Durham were over many centuries one of the principal sources of lead in England, and the landscape of the upper parts of Weardale is dotted with the remains of adits, shafts and ore-washing floors, while at Allendale are two lengthy flues from a smelter which conveyed fumes to chimneys high on the moors. The former treatment plant at Killhope, where the machinery on the washing floors was powered by a 10.5 m diameter waterwheel, is now a museum. It includes the only lead mine in North-East England that is regularly open to the public. The museum is celebrated for its facilities for children, and for its collaborations with painters and sculptors.
Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum
Near Cowshill
DL13 1AR Upper Weardale
County Durham
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1388 - 537505
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