Description and History of Site:-
Information plaque:

'Craven's residents have long used its natural resources. Remains of quarries, lime kilns, lead and coal mines and spoil heaps can still be seen on the moorlands.

'Lead mining in Craven dates back to the Roman times. Production reached its height in the mid-1850s. It particularly intensified on Grassington Moor in the early 1700s, so a system of mining rights arose.

'Landowners granted leases to miners in exchange for a share of the smelted lead. Each lease (meer) measured approximately 27 metres by 14 metres. This gave each miner room for the waste (spoil). They also put up a shelter and processed the lead.

'These stones were used to mark these claims and sometimes carved with initials. You can see more on display at Craven Museum located inside Skipton Town Hall.'

Raistrick (1972): 'In mapping the many scores of bellpits, a few stones were found set in the ground not far away, like small head-stones, and carrying initials, sometimes with '& Co' and 'F' following obvious name initials, as 'FAW & Co. F'. These stones were added to the objects of the survey, and, assuming that many must have fallen, the turning of hundreds of fallen stones eventually brought the number with initials and occasional names to 157. The discovery of the Laws of 1737, which said that the discoverer of a new vein should be given two meers (of 30 yds) along it, and other miners should then be allowed to take up further meers, brought to mind the similar custom in Derbyshire, where the 'takes' were to be clearly marked. It was assumed that these stones were markers, or 'meerstones'. A search of parish registers showed names which fitted nearly all the initials which had been found, and these, and the full names carried by some stones for example, GEO. FLETCHER & CO. FOUNDER - were shown in the registers to be names of miners, and their dates (marriages and christening of children were the most profitable sections of the register) lay between 1740 and 1790. The meerstones thus provided a tool for closely dating the discovery and development of veins.'

Further Reading and References:-
https://skiptontownhall.co.uk/craven-museum/

Raistrick, Arthur. 'Industrial Archaeology'. 1972, Eyre Methuen Ltd

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Key Words :- lead mining

Viewing the Site :- on public street pavement

Address :- Jerry Croft, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1AH
Grid Ref :- SD 99089 51796
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.962246 , Long -2.015373
Local Authority :- North Yorkshire Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Record Date :- 12 January 2025

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Mason