Thanks, don't know how I missed this one before ... I've visited the 'wadd mines' of Borrowdale, so it's all very close to home. The significance of graphite for cannonball moulds is that it is refractory, doesn't distort on heating, so makes reliably spherical cannonballs. Making it an important war material. The short video is great; there is a famous (within UK) pencil museum at nearby Keswick.
Mineralogically, the place is the Caldbeck Fells northeast of Keswick, with a huge variety of weird minerals associated with former mines for lead, copper, silver, and wolfram. It's so popular with collectors that it's now illegal to take away minerals from there.
Believe it or not, I've got a piece of that too! I went on a mine tour with Ian Tyler the enthusiast and guide who used to run a tiny museum in Keswick. Very atmospheric the old mine adits in mist and pouring rain. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins got lost on those hills.
Thanks, don't know how I missed this one before ... I've visited the 'wadd mines' of Borrowdale, so it's all very close to home. The significance of graphite for cannonball moulds is that it is refractory, doesn't distort on heating, so makes reliably spherical cannonballs. Making it an important war material. The short video is great; there is a famous (within UK) pencil museum at nearby Keswick.
Mineralogically, the place is the Caldbeck Fells northeast of Keswick, with a huge variety of weird minerals associated with former mines for lead, copper, silver, and wolfram. It's so popular with collectors that it's now illegal to take away minerals from there.
Thanks for sharing all that. I have a tiny piece of the famous campylite from Caldbeck Fells which may make it into an article one of these days!
Believe it or not, I've got a piece of that too! I went on a mine tour with Ian Tyler the enthusiast and guide who used to run a tiny museum in Keswick. Very atmospheric the old mine adits in mist and pouring rain. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins got lost on those hills.
Very nice!
Cumbria is one of my favourite mineral-related places. I still have a sister living there.