Blackway Head

The cleugh is just out of view beyond the bare ground, descending left to right. A bridleway, the route of the Isaac Tea Trail, runs along the right edge of the groove; it can be seen in the distance emerging from the stream's valley.

The heather and grass moorland is on a slope descending towards Swin Hope, a tributary valley of East Allendale; that main valley lies beyond the middle-distance ridge. The village of Allenheads is there, below the coniferous plantations.

The bridleway is passing the minor moorland rise on its west side; it's also the route used by the named walk, Isaac's Tea Trail.

The foreground bog is adjacent to the route of a bridleway now incorporated into the named walk, Isaac's Tea Trail. The shallow dome on the horizon to the right is the minor summit at Blackway Head; to the left of it is the location named as Three Curricks.

Ochre is an iron oxide or hydroxide present in certain rocks and often found in uplands staining pools and watercourses. The flow of the stream in the image (Bridge Cleugh) is particularly strongly affected. The loose, shaley material beside the stream is a natural feature. The similar piles higher on the slope have been bulldozed to create a flat parking area for a shooting hut - its roof can be seen.

The small building on the west bank of River West Allen is next to the adit of Scraithole Mine. This was the second mine at the Carrshield complex. Scraithole Mine was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages NY8046 : Scraithole Mine, Carrshield.

The two storeyed lodging shop is the largest in the north Pennines and retains several original internal features including arched furnace openings and a blacksmiths' forge. Inside and surrounding the lodging shop there are a series of culverts, some of which are thought to have been used to drain the mines; others are thought to be related to the water management system associated with ore processing at the northern end of the monument. Also see: NY8046 : Plaque, Barneycraig Mine Shop, Carrshield and NY8046 : Barneycraig Mine Shop, Carrshield The range of buildings is Grade II Listed (1042932): Link With funding from Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership renovated the building using traditional methods and existing materials, converting the upper floors into a basic Camping Barn. It is now owned and managed by Allen Valleys Enterprise Limited, for the benefit of the local community. ​ Link Archive Link

Notice attached to front wall of restored building now used as a bunk-house NY8046 : Barneycraig Mine Shop, Carrshield. "I should think it no hardship to have remained 24 hours in a mine, but I would be terrified of being ordered to be shut up quarter of an hour in the bedroom of a lodging shop’. Assistant Commissioner, Dr W.R. Mitchell (1842), Royal Commission Report on Employment of Children (Mines).

The monument includes the remains of two lead mines and an ore works, situated on the base and lower slopes of the valley of the West Allen at Carrshield. The visible remains of the lead industry at Carrshield are complex and represent several phases of mining over three centuries. The latest phase of the mining dominates, although earlier remains will survive beneath these, as well as in the areas untouched by later mining. The earliest known mining activity at the site was the Barney Crag Horse level, situated at the southern end of the complex; this mine was opened during the 1760s and continued in use throughout the 19th century. The access to this mine was through an adit, or horizontal tunnel into the valley side. The second mine at the complex was Scraithole Mine which was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages. Historic England Scheduled Monument (1015849): Link Barney Crag Industrial Complex, RCHME Report (1992): Link Archive Link Carne, P. and Jenkins, C. (2015). Barney Craig Mine Water Treatment Scheme, Carrshield, Northumberland - heritage assessment. Archaeological Services, Durham University. Link In 2016, Northern Archaeological Associates was commissioned to assist with the remedial works at Carrshield designed to redirect water into the River West Allen away from the spoil heaps of the former mine workings. This consisted of the archaeological monitoring of soil removal, repair of the mine tailings retaining wall and the partial demolition of a miner’s cottage at nearby Low Blue Row to make it safe. Link Archive Link

The monument includes the remains of two lead mines and an ore works, situated on the base and lower slopes of the valley of the West Allen at Carrshield. The visible remains of the lead industry at Carrshield are complex and represent several phases of mining over three centuries. The latest phase of the mining dominates, although earlier remains will survive beneath these, as well as in the areas untouched by later mining. The earliest known mining activity at the site was the Barney Crag Horse level, situated at the southern end of the complex; this mine was opened during the 1760s and continued in use throughout the 19th century. The access to this mine was through an adit, or horizontal tunnel into the valley side. The second mine at the complex was Scraithole Mine which was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages. Historic England Scheduled Monument (1015849): Link Barney Crag Industrial Complex, RCHME Report (1992): Link Archive Link Carne, P. and Jenkins, C. (2015). Barney Craig Mine Water Treatment Scheme, Carrshield, Northumberland - heritage assessment. Archaeological Services, Durham University. Link In 2016, Northern Archaeological Associates was commissioned to assist with the remedial works at Carrshield designed to redirect water into the River West Allen away from the spoil heaps of the former mine workings. This consisted of the archaeological monitoring of soil removal, repair of the mine tailings retaining wall and the partial demolition of a miner’s cottage at nearby Low Blue Row to make it safe. Link Archive Link

Lead mine adit portal, probably C18th. Built of roughly squared rubble with a round-arched tunnel. The actual portal has fallen but the arching survives intact from 4 metres back. This was the Barneycraig Horse Level, working the rich Barneycraig Vein, and was driven c.1760 and continued in use throughout the C19th. The adit portal is Grade II Listed (1155612): Link

The ruined building is named Mill House on the 25" OS map (1898).

The ruined building on the far bank of the River West Allen is shown here: NY8047 : Ruin by River West Allen, Carrshield The excavated and partially restored ruin on the right is described in the report on the archaeology at 'Barney Crag Industrial Complex' for the Royal Commission of Historic Monuments of England published in 1992: "A ruinous structure (B4) is the remnant of Low Blue Row, a terrace of dwellings now partly destroyed and partly overlain by the tailings heap (W2). The Row was still extant in 1895 but had been reduced almost to its present state by 1919 (OS second and third edition maps)." Low Blue Row was described by the surveyors of the first edition Ordnance Survey (c.1860) as: "A Row of Neat Cottages with gardens attached". Barney Crag Mine (Lead): "An extensive lead mine with all the Neccesary Apparatus Attached the property of Wentworth B. Beaumont Esq." Link Archive Link

The small building on the west bank of River West Allen is next to the adit of Scraithole Mine. This was the second mine at the Carrshield complex. Scraithole Mine was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages.

Information plaque on end wall of former Mine Shop building NY8046 : Barneycraig Mine Shop, Carrshield

The monument includes the remains of two lead mines and an ore works, situated on the base and lower slopes of the valley of the West Allen at Carrshield. The visible remains of the lead industry at Carrshield are complex and represent several phases of mining over three centuries. The latest phase of the mining dominates, although earlier remains will survive beneath these, as well as in the areas untouched by later mining. The earliest known mining activity at the site was the Barney Crag Horse level, situated at the southern end of the complex; this mine was opened during the 1760s and continued in use throughout the 19th century. The access to this mine was through an adit, or horizontal tunnel into the valley side. The second mine at the complex was Scraithole Mine which was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages. Historic England Scheduled Monument (1015849): Link Barney Crag Industrial Complex, RCHME Report (1992): Link Archive Link Carne, P. and Jenkins, C. (2015). Barney Craig Mine Water Treatment Scheme, Carrshield, Northumberland - heritage assessment. Archaeological Services, Durham University. Link In 2016, Northern Archaeological Associates was commissioned to assist with the remedial works at Carrshield designed to redirect water into the River West Allen away from the spoil heaps of the former mine workings. This consisted of the archaeological monitoring of soil removal, repair of the mine tailings retaining wall and the partial demolition of a miner’s cottage at nearby Low Blue Row to make it safe. Link Archive Link

The small building on the west bank of River West Allen is next to the adit of Scraithole Mine. This was the second mine at the Carrshield complex. Scraithole Mine was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages.

The monument includes the remains of two lead mines and an ore works, situated on the base and lower slopes of the valley of the West Allen at Carrshield. The visible remains of the lead industry at Carrshield are complex and represent several phases of mining over three centuries. The latest phase of the mining dominates, although earlier remains will survive beneath these, as well as in the areas untouched by later mining. The earliest known mining activity at the site was the Barney Crag Horse level, situated at the southern end of the complex; this mine was opened during the 1760s and continued in use throughout the 19th century. The access to this mine was through an adit, or horizontal tunnel into the valley side. The second mine at the complex was Scraithole Mine which was operated during the 19th century by the Beaumont Company, and was reopened in the 1950s when it continued to be operational until 1981. Access to this mine was also through an adit; the entrance is situated on the left bank of the river immediately east of the track to Greenpit, opposite Bluerow Cottages. Historic England Scheduled Monument (1015849): Link Barney Crag Industrial Complex, RCHME Report (1992): Link Archive Link Carne, P. and Jenkins, C. (2015). Barney Craig Mine Water Treatment Scheme, Carrshield, Northumberland - heritage assessment. Archaeological Services, Durham University. Link In 2016, Northern Archaeological Associates was commissioned to assist with the remedial works at Carrshield designed to redirect water into the River West Allen away from the spoil heaps of the former mine workings. This consisted of the archaeological monitoring of soil removal, repair of the mine tailings retaining wall and the partial demolition of a miner’s cottage at nearby Low Blue Row to make it safe. Link Archive Link