FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Forrestblyth]

I would like to share with you a visit to a very special place in the Caldbeck fells, Cumbria, UK.
DRY GILL MINE

The mineral this location is most famous for is Mimetite (var Camphylite) In fact specimens grace most museum mineral collections throughout the world.

Classic combinations from Dry Gill mine can have exceptionally bright-red barrel shaped 'campylite' crystals usually formed over a maganese rich quartz matrix, but they can also have almost luminous lime green coloration depending on the chemical content.

I visited this mine as a boy in 1969 and later in 1988.
I have long wanted to return to see if this location is still as amazing as it was back then. And I am pleased to say it most certainly is. The following is a photographic record of my recent trip. Please understand the photographs and minerals are material in field. They are not clean or prepared other than some having a rinse in the gill. Lighting is natural sunlight and field photography is conducted with a Samsung S25 ultra phone using a dark towel as a background. So please excuse the optical qualities. I have only included a small selection of content, if any one wants further clarification or additional photos please just ask and I shall follow up a posting.

The Trip
(cautionary note) This would be classed as an easy Fell walk. However. In the Lake district it is often joked that you can experience four seasons in one day lol. If You follow this trip yourself you will attain an elevation approaching one thousand feet. At this height you can easily be in or above the cloud base. It is important to maintain great situational awareness with regard to your exit strategy, Always conduct good Fell walking preparations.
The starting point is a parking spot near a cattle grid next to Calebreck, location 54 42 05.0 N 3 03 02 0 W
You will see a good condition track leading past the first mine called Sandbeds. Continue along this track until you meet a slight fork in the pathway. Note The other main track leads on descending to a very interesting mine called Potts Gill. This mine has some very rare copper based minerals reported and is on my list of future exploration.
Take the lesser left hand track that heads upward and you will pass further interesting mine workings, then eventually get high enough to see the Driggith open cut on your left and a view toward High pike. You will see as in my photo the location of the Dry Gill in the distance over Red Clovercloth Gill. To the left you will also see down into the valley and view the main Driggith dumps. Do not enter any of the fenced off areas or any open shafts. These are dangerous and unstable.

Follow the well formed track toward Dry Gill. The head is a hundred yards to the left of the main track, Enter from the gentle decline from the head as shown in the photographs, Follow the sheep lol. The gill sides are steep and not suitable for secure footing.

The first hundred feet of decent you will see the Dry Gill shales. These have little of interest in mineral content. Descend a little further and the ground material will change to Pb load bearing quartz. This will have an amazing mineral content including the Camphylites that the location is most famous for. The best Camphylites are deep red/brown. Mimetite, Manganese oxides and pyromophite is scattered in abundance, to the extent it often feels as if you are stomping over a dealers table, surreal! Plates of well formed quartz with occasional bladed baryte can sometimes be found. To Say it is a target rich environment is an understatement.

One most interesting mineral that I think is possibly coronadite is often found. In appearance it looks a little like the typical Manganese oxides but is most certainly different. It forms black hard pearl like strings of botryodial crystals. Please comment as I have shown a few in photographs if you have ID opinions. Another interesting find of the day was a single unknown dark crystal in a quartz matrix. It stained the surrounding matrix bright red to almost purple and looked a lot different to iron staining? Comments please! Under a loup I almost convinced myself I saw a Cinnabar shaped crystal structure? At some angles, but it was most difficult to see under field conditions to be sure!

You could continue down the gill to the Driggith main dump and actually follow the mine path eventually going back along Carrock Beck to the road that leads to your parking point or you can just reverse back up Dry Gill the way you came in.

I hope you enjoyed the recorded trip. Its a totally unique location and well worth a visit. Further photographs are available if I have not bored you to death enough with these ones lol. I can post a part two if interest dictates the need.
Enjoy!

[Forrestblyth]

photo trip continued

[Roy Starkey]

Please be aware that mineral collecting in the Caldbeck Fells is subject to a Permit Scheme. You cannot simply turn up without permission and go collecting. Such action is likely to lead to the permit scheme being revoked and action being taken against the person(s) involved,

Full details of the scheme, how to apply for a permit, a map showing the areas covered by the scheme, and the various stipulated actions are readily available on the Lake District National Park Authority website.

Check out this link:
https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/geology/caldbeckminerals

Regards

Roy