News

Event Update: Indigenous Gold

Wednesday 11th October 2023

Time: 19.30 hrs

Prof. Chapman is now unable to deliver his talk in person. 

The meeting will therefore be on Zoom, joining details will be posted shortly

Indigenous Gold and How Recent Research Contributed to our Understanding of this Landscape

Britain and Ireland are geologically complex, and we are fortunate to have
relatively easy access to rocks that reveal a rich tectonic history. That
diversity of past geological processes is reflected in the wide range of ore
deposits; many of which were once economically important. Whilst mining for lead, copper, iron and latterly zinc, has been of strategic importance, the
winning of gold has been both more geographically and temporally sporadic.

Nevertheless, the history of gold mining in these Islands goes back over
4,000 years, from the Early Bronze Age to the modern day mines of Clogau
and Gwynfynydd in North Wales, Cavanacaw in Northern Ireland and
Cononish, Scotland. Historic exploitation focussed on alluvial gold, again both in Scotland and Ireland, but, in addition, there are a large number of gold localities where smaller amounts of gold can recovered from river gravels.

Whilst these seemingly have no economic potential, the development of
methodologies to characterise gold composition has utilised such
occurrences to enhance our understanding of regional gold mineralization.
This talk will introduce the various different geological environments in which gold forms, and correlate these with the main gold bearing areas of Britain and Ireland that have been exploited at one time or another. There will be a short foray into the research work carried out on indigenous gold at Leeds University, and finally some practical advice on how to go about finding some for yourself.

Indigenous Gold and How Recent Research Contributed to our Understanding of this Landscape

Wednesday 11th October 2023
Time: 19.30 hrs
Friends’ Meeting House, Elliot Park, Keswick. CA12 5NZ

Prof. Robert Chapman, Senior Lecturer, Leeds University

Britain and Ireland are geologically complex, and we are fortunate to have
relatively easy access to rocks that reveal a rich tectonic history. That
diversity of past geological processes is reflected in the wide range of ore
deposits; many of which were once economically important. Whilst mining for lead, copper, iron and latterly zinc, has been of strategic importance, the
winning of gold has been both more geographically and temporally sporadic.

Nevertheless, the history of gold mining in these Islands goes back over
4,000 years, from the Early Bronze Age to the modern day mines of Clogau
and Gwynfynydd in North Wales, Cavanacaw in Northern Ireland and
Cononish, Scotland. Historic exploitation focussed on alluvial gold, again both in Scotland and Ireland, but, in addition, there are a large number of gold localities where smaller amounts of gold can recovered from river gravels.

Whilst these seemingly have no economic potential, the development of
methodologies to characterise gold composition has utilised such
occurrences to enhance our understanding of regional gold mineralization.
This talk will introduce the various different geological environments in which gold forms, and correlate these with the main gold bearing areas of Britain and Ireland that have been exploited at one time or another. There will be a short foray into the research work carried out on indigenous gold at Leeds University, and finally some practical advice on how to go about finding some for yourself.

Proceedings 1982-83 Part 3

Proceedings can be viewed in the Members Area here. If you are not a member and would like to request a copy of the proceedings or a particular article, please contact the website admin.

Editor’s NotePage 236
A Volcanic Vent at Colt Crag, near Coniston, Cumbria, Watson237
The Philosophy of Stream Sediment Exploration and
Indications of Mineralisation from a Stream Sediment
Survey in the Western Lake District, Buckley
245
Classification, Age and Origin of the Cumbrian
Hematite, Dunham
259
Siderite from the West Cumbrian Hematite Deposits, Young267
Geology and History of Nab Gill Mine, Eskdale, Cumbria, Young269
Deglaciation Features North and South of Ennerdale277
Excursion to Borrowdale and Langstrath278
Visits to the Anhydrite Mine, Whitehaven281
Excursion to the Threlkeld Micro-granite282
Excursion to Drygill and Driggeth Mines283
The Carboniferous Succession around the Levens Estuary284
Geology from ‘La’al Ratty’287
Excursion to Gilsland Area289
Geology of the Eastern Fells around Renwick291
Excursion to Pica Opencast Coal Site294
Visit to Florence Mine, Egremont296
Excursion to the Little Knott Picrite297
Excursion to Dobb’s Linn298
Excursion to the Duddon Valley301
Carboniferous Limestone of Blackstone Point, Arnside303
The Carboniferous Limestone of Yewbarrow and Whitbarrow306
The Rocks of the Eden Valley308
Excursion to the Three Shires Stone309
The West Cumberland Hematite Ore Field311
A Modern Look at the Geology of the Lake District318
The Science of Gemstones320
A History of Coal Mining in West Cumbria321
Trace Fossils323
Landslides, Subsidence and Other Forms of Earth Movement325
Antarctica and the Gondwana Jigsaw327
First Impressions of the Geology of Iceland329
The Calculation and Estimation of Oil and Gas Reserves333
Silurian Geology and Fauna in Scotland335
Coal and Coal-bearing Rocks: How long to form them?337
TOURIST REPORT: The Auvergne340
TOURIST REPORT: Malta’s Stratigraphy341
ANNUAL DINNERS: 23rd April, 1982 & 22nd April 1983342
22nd and 23rd Annal General Meetings344
ADDRESSES OF OFFICERS353
LIST OF SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS354
NOTICES356

Mineral display October 2023

SUNDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2023

FROM 12.30 PM TO 6.00 PM

Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society (CATMHS)
Mineral Display


Members of the Society are hosting a mineral display in the Wesley room at Ambleside Parish Centre. This is a rare opportunity to see beautiful specimens collected mainly from mines in Cumbria and Weardale, one of areas traditional industries which helped shape it as it is today. There is the opportunity to discuss, understand minerals and their formation.
Entry free with Tea & Coffee provided. Donations welcome in aid of Ambleside Parish Centre

Anyone is welcome to bring along their material specimens along to show and have them photographed.

Linarite – Red Gill Mine, Caldbeck
Fluorite – Rogerley Mine, Weardale
Calcite – Florence Mine, Egremont
Barytes – Force Crag Mine, Keswick
Galena & Dolomite – Smallcleugh Mine, Nenthead

Event Reminder: Deformed Dirt: research on the deformation caused by glaciers and ice sheet

Wednesday 20th September 2023
Time: 19.30hrs
Friends’ Meeting House, Elliot Park, Keswick. CA12 5NZ.
Prof Emrys Phillips PhD, MSc, CGeol FGS, FRGS
Deformed Dirt: research on the deformation caused by glaciers and ice sheets

The deformation caused by glaciers and ice sheets, known as glacitectonics, produces folding and faulting structures similar to those found in orogenic mountain belts but on a smaller scale and shorter time scales. The lecture will include a brief history of glacitectonic research, examples from around the world of the range of landforms and features formed as a result of glacitectonism and discuss why understanding these glacial deformation processes are so important.

Professor Phillips will be known to many members as he has given talks and led field trips for us. He is Individual Merit Research Scientist (Quaternary/glacial sciences) at BGS and Honorary Professor, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot Watt University