West Pasture Mine

Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK

Key Information

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The West Pasture Mine is located in Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK, about 2 km north of the town center, in a scenic area known for its natural beauty.
It is famous for fluorite, especially in pale wine yellow to pale apple green colors, with other minerals like siderite and galena also found.
The mine is in sedimentary rocks from the Carboniferous period, with mineral deposits linked to fractures in limestone.
It was mainly worked for ironstone, with a history tied to the region's lead and fluorspar mining, active from the 18th to 20th centuries.
Stanhope has a rich local culture, including a 12th-century church and a fossil tree, with a temperate climate and diverse ecology like heather moors.

Geographic Location

The West Pasture Mine is nestled in Stanhope, a small market town in County Durham, England, UK, located on the River Wear, about 2 km north of the town center. Stanhope lies in the north-east of Weardale, a valley in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), known for its stunning landscapes and biodiversity. This area is accessible via the A689 road, making it a tranquil spot for mineral enthusiasts to explore. Nearby, you can find other notable mineral localities like the Stanhopeburn Mine and Burtree Pasture Mine, adding to the region's rich mining heritage.

Minerals Produced

The mine is renowned for its fluorite, which stands out with unique pale wine yellow to pale apple green hues, a color palette almost exclusive to this site and highly sought after by collectors. Beyond fluorite, the mine yields siderite, galena, aragonite, calcite, chalcopyrite, gypsum (including selenite), malachite, quartz, and rosasite, offering a diverse array for mineral enthusiasts to discover.

Geological Structure

Geologically, the West Pasture Mine is set within sedimentary rocks from the Carboniferous period, primarily limestone and sandstone, with some igneous intrusions. It accesses the West Pasture Vein, an eastern branch of the Red Vein, where mineral deposits, including lead and fluorspar, formed in fractures, creating a fascinating geological tapestry for study.

Mining History

The mine's history is somewhat scarce, but it was primarily worked for ironstone from flats associated with the vein, reflecting the region's broader lead and fluorspar mining legacy, which peaked from the 18th to 20th centuries. Nearby Stanhopeburn Mine, for instance, extracted fluorspar until the late 1970s, indicating the area's prolonged mining activity.

Local Culture and Characteristics

Stanhope, with its market town charm, boasts a 12th-century church and a 320-million-year-old fossil tree, reflecting its deep historical roots. The Weardale Railway offers a nostalgic journey through the countryside, while the town's stepping stones across the River Wear are a local highlight, blending history with outdoor adventure.

Climate and Ecology

The climate here is temperate, with cool summers and mild winters, ideal for exploring the outdoors. The ecology is rich, featuring heather moors, limestone grasslands, and woodlands, part of the North Pennines AONB, with ongoing efforts to conserve peatlands for carbon storage, enhancing the area's environmental significance.