Lecht, Ironstone Mine

Mining first took place at Lecht in the late eighteenth century, when the York Mining Company established workings here on land forfeited to the government following the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. Both ironstone and manganese ore were mined at the site and were transported to Culnakyle, near Nethybridge, for smelting.

The most prominent feature of the mining landscape at Lecht is a two-storeyed, rubble-built building with a large arched doorway, which was restored and re-roofed with local slate in the 1980s. It dates from a second, post-1841 phase of activity at the mine, and probably served as a crushing mill, powered by a water wheel measuring almost 8m in diameter which was set at one of its gable walls. Other remains include a mill lade, dumps of waste material, and mine workings which consist of vertical shafts and adits which have been driven at a shallow angle into the hillside.

When production reached its peak during the 1840s, 63 people were employed at the mine. By 1847, however, cheap imports of manganese from Russia made it unprofitable and the mine closed.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

NJ21NW 8 centred 23760 15938

(Centred on Crushing Mill).

Ironstone Mine (disused) [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1972.

(Location cited as NJ 237 159). Ironstone Mine, Lecht. 18th to 19th century. The principal remain here is a tall 2-storey rubble building with segmental-arched openings; this may have housed crushing machinery. There is a high-level lade, and there appears to have been a waterwheel about 42ins (1.06m) wide by 24ft (7.32m) diameter on one gable; the kingpost roof is well preserved.

J R Hume 1977.

There are three pits at the mine, other excavations, dumped material, building foundations, mill lead remains and a recently renovated mill building. Pit 3 is overgrown.

K Nicholson 198[].