Long Meg Mine

Long Meg Mine is a disused gypsum and anhydrite mine in Cave Wood Valley, just north of Little Salkeld in Cumbria's Eden Valley. It worked from 1880 until 1976. Today it is a crumbling piece of industrial heritage rather than a staffed visitor attraction, so expect a walk and a view, not a tour.

What was the mine?

The Long Meg Plaster Company was founded in 1880. Gypsum was the first target, but the share of usable gypsum in the seam fell as work went deeper, and the firm hit financial trouble. After a merger in 1911 the mine shut around 1914-15. It reopened in 1922 for anhydrite, gypsum without its water content. Early miners had ignored it, yet the chemical industry wanted it for sulphuric acid and for ammonium compounds used in fertiliser.

British Plaster Board, now British Gypsum, bought the operation in 1939. It closed on 31 January 1976 after producing more than 5 million tons.

How did the railway fit in?

Getting output out by cart track from the village was impractical, so a siding linked the site to the Settle-Carlisle line. Sources give dates anywhere between 1886 and 1896 for the connection, and a Midland Railway signal box controlled it. The Cumbrian Railways Association notes surviving trackbed, sleepers and chairs, plus narrow gauge track and a few wagons. A locomotive from the mine is now kept at the Bowes Railway in Tyne and Wear.

Can you go inside?

No. The site is in poor repair and is not set up for visits. Much of it can still be seen from the public footpath that follows the River Eden from Little Salkeld to Lacy's Caves, which makes a pleasant riverside walk for anyone interested in industrial archaeology.

How do you get there?

Drive to Little Salkeld, a short distance from Langwathby and Penrith, and continue on foot along the Eden path. Little Salkeld station sits on the Settle-Carlisle line, but check current timetables before relying on it. Waterproof footwear helps, as the riverside path can be muddy.

Not to be confused with the stone circle

The prehistoric circle Long Meg and Her Daughters stands nearby. It is a separate monument with no link to the mine, despite the similar name. The mine belongs to the 19th and 20th century industrial story of the valley.

Frequently asked questions

Is Long Meg Mine open to visitors? No, the workings cannot be entered. You can view the site from outside, from the footpath beside the River Eden.

What was mined here? Gypsum first, then from 1922 anhydrite for the chemical industry, including sulphuric acid and fertiliser compounds.

When did the mine close? For good on 31 January 1976. It had also stood idle for several years from about 1914-15.

Is this the same place as the Long Meg stone circle? No. Long Meg and Her Daughters is a separate prehistoric monument near Little Salkeld.