Museums and Galleries

Threlkeld Mining Museum

Threlkeld Quarry, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4TT

Tel: 017687 79747/01228 561883

website: www.threlkeldminingmuseum.co.uk

The Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum is situated three miles east of Keswick, in the heart of the breathtaking Lake District in Cumbria. The quarry and museum have been lovingly run by knowledgeable and dedicated staff for more than ten years, and the site continues to expand through the dedication of the staff and volunteers.

The quarry itself is a RIGS site and displays contacts between the "Skiddaw Slate" and the granite intrusion, as well as other fascinating features.

The museum now has a new mining section which has been developed with the help and cooperation of the Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society and a number of individuals.

The Mining Room contains artefacts, plans and photographic records of explorations of many local mines, which, in this area, exploited copper, iron, lead, zinc, tungsten, graphite, barites and fluorite. A representative display of local minerals can be seen and there is a new section on lighting, drilling and explosives.

The museum offers activities for all the family, from budding geologists to hopeful prospectors, including an underground tour of a realistic mine, a quarry site with a unique collection of machinery and mineral panning.

There is ample free parking, a shop and refreshments available. Open 7 days a week from Easter to October.

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