About Us
Situated in a microgranite quarry, the museum takes full advantage of its position within the Northern Lake District. It is close to many of the classic, well-documented sites used by geologists for their excursions. 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 Mining Section
The Mining Room
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 section on lighting, drilling and explosives.
The Quarry Room
The Quarry Room explains the relationship between the geology of the Lake District area and the quarrying of local limestone, sandstone, granite and slate. Samples of rocks from all the important local formations are keyed to a large table map. Photographs and rock samples from more than fifty old and more recent quarries are displayed to illustrate the special features of each.