Frazer's Hush Mine

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Rookhope, Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK

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Key Information

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  • Frazer's Hush Mine is in Rookhope, Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK, within the North Pennines, known for mining and scenic beauty.

  • It produced notable purple, glassy, twinned Fluorite crystals, alongside minerals like Galena and Sphalerite.

  • The mine operated from the early 1970s to 1999, named after a nearby medieval hushing site, and is now sealed.

  • The area has a temperate climate with cold winters, featuring diverse ecosystems like moors and woodlands.

  • Rookhope has literary ties to poet W.H. Auden, who called it "the most wonderfully desolated of all the dales."

Geographic Location

Frazer's Hush Mine is located in Rookhope, a village in the civil parish of Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK, about 25 miles west of Durham. It sits in the North Pennines, a region celebrated for its rugged landscapes and mining history, part of Weardale, with nearby famous mining sites like Groverake Mine.

Minerals and Geological Context

The mine is renowned for its high-quality purple, glassy, twinned Fluorite crystals, often found with Quartz or sulphides like Galena and Sphalerite. It lies within the Great Limestone formation, a Carboniferous layer where hydrothermal activity deposited minerals in fractures, creating rich veins.

Mining History and Cultural Significance

Active from the early 1970s to 1999, the mine was operated by companies like Weardale Lead Company and Weardale Minerals Company. Its name reflects a nearby medieval hushing site, a hydraulic mining method. Rookhope, with a population of around 267 in 2001, has literary connections to W.H. Auden, who found inspiration here, and features landmarks like the Rookhope Arch from old lead smelting works.

Climate and Ecology

The North Pennines have a temperate climate with cold winters and more precipitation, supporting diverse ecosystems like heather moors, peatlands, and woodlands, home to various flora and fauna.

Citations