Alpine glacier reveals story of ancient lead mining in Peak District

A major new study has found that three-quarters of the lead pollution from the British 12th century found embedded in an Alpine glacier came from lead mines in the Peak District in Derbyshire and the wider Pennines.
The remains of the Odin Mine in the Peak District, one of the ancient lead mines in the area. Photo: Peak District National ParkThe remains of the Odin Mine in the Peak District, one of the ancient lead mines in the area. Photo: Peak District National Park
The remains of the Odin Mine in the Peak District, one of the ancient lead mines in the area. Photo: Peak District National Park

Climate change scientists, historians and archaeologists from the Universities of Nottingham, Harvard and Maine used ultra-high precision laser technology to analyse the contents of a late 12th and early 13th century section of ice core, bored from a glacier in the Swiss-Italian Alps.

The research, published in Antiquity, shows how traces of lead pollution from the Peak District directly mirror historical records of lead production in the region between 1170 and 1216.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cutting edge atmospheric modelling shows that these elements were deposited by the winds coming from the north west carrying dust and pollution from the UK.

Prof Christopher Loveluck, from the University of Nottingham’s department of classics and archaeology, said: “For us here in the East Midlands, the big story is that 75 per cent of that lead pollution pattern in the Alpine ice core is a direct mirror of Peak District lead production.

“In that period, the biggest mining areas in Britain were Wirksworth High Peak and the mine of Carlisle which was actually based in the central Pennines.

“The silver from these areas went to Carlisle to be struck into coinage and the lead goes down the Tyne to Newcastle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We looked at parchment records in the National Archives called the Pipe Rolls which contain lists of the lead exports that went out of British ports, including how many ships were used to transport the cargo.

“Nottingham is very important in that trade, so most of the Peak District lead is coming down the Trent going through Nottingham and out of the Humber to the continent.

“For example, Henry II is building castles in Normandy so 25 cart loads of lead go to each of these.

“And in 1187 in the High Peak at Castleton you get 100 cartloads of lead (approximatelty 100 tonnes) being sent for the roof of Clairveaux Abbey in Northern Burgundy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The cathedral at Southwell Minster would also have got its lead from the Peak District.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.