Cumpston Hill
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD780974 | — | Favourable | 1.14 | 2008-03-26 |
| SD784977 | — | Favourable | 2.8 | 2021-11-04 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Description The limestone hosted copper mineralisation at Cumpston Hill provides critical evidence in the paragenetic interpretation of mineralisation in the Askrigg Block orefield. A wide range of deposition temperatures having been detected by fluid inclusion studies, indicating more than one phase of mineralising fluid. Analysis of the minerals at this site also indicates high antimony and arsenic levels, which provide evidence that the source of the mineralisation may have been influenced by underlying Lower Palaeozoic basement. Two parallel mineral veins, trending north east to south west, are exposed on the east side of the Eden Valley at Cumpston Hill. The outcrop of the North Vein is well exposed where it crosses the Main Limestone forming Hanging Lund Scar. The limestone around the vein is strongly silicified. Exposures on the South Vein are not as good, but a related mineral dump contains examples of the copper mineral assemblage with abundant azurite, malachite and brochantite.