Nab Gill Mine
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY173013 | — | Favourable | 4.86 | 2021-11-04 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Iron Mine / Works · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Description Nab Gill Mine is an area of fellside north west of the village of Boot, Eskdale, five kilometres south of Wast Water, in west Cumbria. The site consists of the vein outcrops, dumps and workings of a disused iron mine. Although the large hematite deposits in the Lake District are principally confined to deposits in the Carboniferous rocks of west and south Cumbria, hematite veins of a very similar character are found cutting the older rocks of the Lake District dome. Nab Gill Mine was the largest mine to work a hematite vein cutting the Eskdale Granite. The deposit, like those of west and south Cumbria is essentially monomineralic, consisting principally of kidney ore, much of which has suffered post emplacement brecciation. The site is elongated along the course of the vein and at several points the hematite mineralisation may still be seen, well exposed, in situ. Typical ore specimens are abundant on the associated dumps. The site is of particular importance in understanding the origin of the nationally important West Cumbrian iron ore field. Studies of this site and comparison with vein deposits in Carboniferous limestones to the west demonstrate that the ore did not originate in the Eskdale Granite and probably originated from the iron rich fluids expelled from the adjacent Irish Sea Basin.