Alston Cleugh

Long descent from Killhope Cross towards the Nent Valley in Cumbria

County sign, Weardale sign, watershed and the old stone cross stand beside the highest point an "A" Road attains in England.

Listed Grade II, early 19th century, for the Alston Turnpike Trust Link. For close-up NY7843 : Old Milestone by the A689, south east of Nenthead

Leaving Nentdale and approaching the head of Weardale

The 'Kilhope Cross' stone cross in front of the sign is a Listed Grade II "Boundary marker of uncertain date but possibly medieval; moved to its present site in C18." Link

There's a prominent cairn at the camera position, not in view in the image of course. It's likely that it was built to mark what someone considered to be the hill's summit but others think differently. The authoritative web site 'Hillbagging' has the summit to be at NY 79159 45761, over 100 m. SSW. of the cairn. At a different location again there's an OS spot height of 614 m. which might well be an accurate height but of course there's no necessary claim of that as the highest point. It's impossible to judge; when at The Dodd's summit area there are clearly countless locations which could be the prime one! The view from the cairn over the peat banks is across the head of West Allendale with Killhope Law distant.

This is the A689 heading towards Killhope Cross on the boundary between Cumbria and County Durham which is the highest point reached by any A-classified road in England - 623 metres. (It's beaten in Scotland by the A93 at the Cairnwell Pass - 670 metres.) It's to be hoped that the road sign isn't advertising a barbaric service! (Cruelty there too to the English language... missing apostrophe!)

At over 520 m. the farmhouse at Roughside must have been one of the highest occupied houses in the UK. It's long gone but the barns there still stand as roofless ruins.

Slate Hill is a location close to the A689 at Killhope Cross, the highest point reached by any A-classified road in England. The stone is cleanly and deeply cut, 'C 1863'. It's on the County Durham / Cumbria boundary which in 1863 would have been between Durham and Cumberland. It's possible then, but not certain that the C denotes the county; there's no corresponding D on the other side, nothing in fact. Knoutberry Hill is in the distance.

County Boundary Marker against the boundary fence on Slate Hill, north of Killhope Cross CBED_ALS. On the boundary of Alston Moor, Cumbria, was Cumberland, and Stanhope, County Durham. Milestone Society National ID: CU_ALMSTA02cb

A689 descending off Killhope Cross into County Durham and towards Weardale

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