What a wonderful day!” was the unanimous verdict on the Local History group’s visit to Wanlockhead Museum of Lead Mining in early June.
We had a lovely day with warm sunshine in the Lowther Hills, exploring the four sites in Scotland’s highest village. Coffee first with delicious homemade scones, followed by a look around the museum prior to our guided tour.
Hard hats on and into the Lochnell drift mine to see how the lead bearing galena rock was hewn from long narrow galleries. We went just 150 yards into the mine, a fraction of the system of galleries of this mine alone. It was the basis of the lead mining industry which was of economic significance, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries when lead was used for many purposes from water pipes to shot. Gold and silver are also present in the rock, but we did not have time for gold panning, perhaps another day…
A short walk along the valley, passed the remains of the beam engine which pumped the water into the buddles – shallow, inclined pans in which the ore was washed to separate the lead from sand, to reach the miners cottages. Original cottages have been reconfigured to show how they would have been in 1750, 1850 and 1910. The difference was marked between basic stone structures, with an earthen floor and leaky heather thatch, which the miners had to build themselves and then be charged rent for! – to cosy furnished homes with sash windows, a range and plastered walls.
Our guide, whose family worked the mine a gallery which carried their name, explained that wages were high but only paid at the end of the year when the lead was sold, so they had to live on tick buying food, tools and candles from the company store; in some years the wages would not cover the debt. Despite the hardships, many people lived to a grand old age, though those engaged in smelting often died in their 30s or 40s due to the poisonous gases produced in during processing.
Finally to the Miners’ Subscription Library, a highlight for many of us where we would have loved to browse the 3000 books, a collection recognised as of national importance. Set up in 1756 originally with 32 members it was the second such library in the country, Leadhills up the road stole a march on them by a year. Membership was a privilege; heads of house (including one woman) over the age of 21 could apply and were subject to interview to establish their suitability. Membership cost 4s a year, a considerable sum, but books were expensive and it is evident that the miners valued education highly. The library closed in 1938 and was abandoned for 40 years, though fortunately most volumes are still in good condition though some have been rebound.
Our tickets are valid until the end of the season, and some of us intend to return with family and friends, perhaps on a dreary day when we might get a more typical experience of this remote place where industrial history is brought to life.