Page last updated 31/05/07

Greenside Lead Mine

Greenside mine is located on the side of Helvellyn in the Lake District. There had been lead mining at Greenside since at least 1713 but the development of the Greenside mine commenced in 1818 and the Greenside Mining Company was set up in 1822. Initial working of the mine was successful and further development commenced around 1830. The mine continued to operate until 1961 - a marked contrast to the Allendale / Nenthead mines.

For a full history of the mine I recommend 'Greenside and The Mines of the Ullswater Valley' by Ian Tyler, published by Blue Rock Publications 1998. It is extremely readable and full of information. The information in the following two of the following paragraphs is extracted from this book.

C. Swindle and J. Swindle are listed among 112 employees in 1834, C. Swindle, P. Swindle and T. Swindle (twice) among 111 employees in 1842, V. Swindle in 1845, G. Swindle in 1854, P. Swindle in 1855. No Swindle is listed among 124 employees in 1870 but V. Swindle appears in 1871, G. Swindle in 1883 and again in 1883 as a hauler with W J Swindle as a joiner. *

Thomas Swindle is one of the 17 men listed as staying at the mine on the Sunday night of the 1841 census (plus 6 at the smelter). It is notable that 10 of the others are under 20 - would married men be more likely to return to their homes in the valley rather than stay in the mine "shop" (bunkhouse)?

Around 1850 T. Swindal is described as working on the Low Horse Level (in a partnership with J W Patty,  J W Holliday and T Holliday). They were paid £9.10s.0d per fathom of tunnel that they drove. Later, in 1855, J P Swindle and partners were being paid 120/- per fathom. To put these prices in context a stone bunkhouse for the miners, 41 foot by 18 foot, was built for £10.10s.0d and the rate for a day's work seems to have been between 1/- and 3/- a day.

The brothers Thomas and Jacob Swindle had both married local girls in Keswick on the 17th of January 1833 followed by their brothers Christopher, Vipond and Peter in1835, 1837 and 1841 respectively. Their elder brothers, John and George, remained in Garrigill. It is not known if the brothers moved from Garrigill directly to work in the Greenside mines or whether other work was the initial attraction. According to Ian Tyler most of the miners at Greenside lived at Patterdale or at Penrith but Keswick is actually closer than Penrith (via Sticks Pass or the longer but lower route of the old coach road). During the week the miners would have lived in bunkhouse accommodation at the mine. Vipond seems to have been the only brother at Greenside who escaped from mining - he established himself as a grocer in Keswick.

* I have not yet identified two of these last three individuals. It seems unlikely that Vipond (1807-1889) returned to mining and I have not yet found another V. Swindle alive at this time. I have not yet found a suitable William Swindle among the Keswick Swindles although there are two possibilities from Allendale. (William Swindle (born 1826) and William Swindle (born 1833)).

According to "Patterdale Patter" http://groups.msn.com/patterdalePatter/minersindex.msnw the dates in this paragraph are the dates the individuals started on the Greenside payroll but this is inconsistent with the information relating to Thomas Swindle, for example.