Positive talk about heritage walkabout
12 July 2010
Vital restoration work at a historic Weardale mine has been met with great enthusiasm by local residents during a guided walk of the site by Natural England.
Natural England have been carrying out vital restoration work at Low Slit Mine near Westgate, a 19th Century site which has been designated as a Scheduled Monument for its historic importance. As part of this work local residents were invited to a guided walk of the site on Saturday 10th July, to see some of the work being carried out. The tour was given by Tom Gledhill, Natural England’s Historic Environment Advisor for the North East, and local historian Ian Forbes.
Tom Gledhill said: “Low Slit Mine, which plays a key role in the rich mining history of Weardale, is currently being conserved through Natural England’s agri-environment schemes. The mine is an integral piece of local heritage and Natural England is keen to keep residents informed about how work at the site progresses.
“There was incredible support for the restoration from the 17-strong group of local residents who joined us for the tour. Those attending were keen to hear more about the history of the site and learn more about the traditional building techniques being employed to preserve Low Slit Mine for the enjoyment of future generations.”
In addition to restoring the main shaft Natural England is also funding work to consolidate the remains of buildings around the site and to prevent further damage to the ore dressing floor by flooding from the Middlehope Burn. This work will help safeguard a site of national historic and natural importance for future generations to enjoy. The mine is remarkable in that it also has Site of Special Scientific Interest status because of the unusual lead-tolerant plants, including spring sandwort, that now grow there.
The work at Low Slit Mine is funded through the Higher Level Stewardship scheme, which is managed by Natural England and supports the good stewardship of the countryside, delivering a wide range of environmental benefits.
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