Old Cumbria Gazetteer

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	Ore Gap Mine, Borrowdale
	perhaps once
	Ore Gap Mine
locality:-	Ore Gap
locality:-	iron mine
locality:-	mine
civil parish:-	Borrowdale (formerly Cumberland)
civil parish:-	Eskdale (formerly Cumberland)
county:-	Cumbria
coordinates:-	NY24070719 (about)
1Km square:-	NY2407
10Km square:-	NY20
evidence:-	old text:- Postlethwaite 1877 (3rd edn 1913)  placename:-  Ewer Gap Mine item:-  iron ore; haematite
source data:-	Book, Mines and Mining in the English Lake District, by John Postlethwaite, Keswick, published by W H Moss and Sons, Whitehaven, Cumberland now Cumbria, 1877; published 1877-1913.   goto source page 127:-  "EWER GAP, RED TARN, AND TONGUE GILL MINES" "The Iron Mines in the volcanic rocks of English Lakeland were at one time of some importance, although inferior to those in the Skiddaw Slates. ..." "About the same time [early 18th century?], or perhaps a little later, a furnace was in operation in Langstrath, a valley which lies between Langdale and Borrowdale; and judging from the mound of slag, charcoal, &c., yet remaining, there has no doubt been a considerable quantity of ore smelted there. The ore was brought to this furnace from Ewer Gap (ore gap), a depression, or gap, between Hanging Knot and Bow Fell, the northern end of which is almost"   goto source page 128:-  "directly above the head of Langstrath valley. There is a very large deposit of haematite ore at this point, but being at an elevation of 2,500 feet above the level of the sea, its position has been regarded as almost inaccessible for mining operations; but an extension of the Eskdale Railway and the construction of an inclined tramway to the southern end of Ewer Gap may at some time place it within reach of the furnaces. There are two veins, one on each side of Yeasty Rigg Gill, at the southern end of the gap, each of them about 50 feet wide; the bearing of the western vein is a few degrees west of south and east of north; and of the eastern one a little to the east of south and west of north; these unite at the entrance to the gap. The deposit of haematite in the gap is of the finest quality, a considerable portion of it being kidney ore."

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