MEMORIES from miners who worked in a once-flourishing North Pennine industry are being captured for posterity as part of a new heritage project.
At its height, fluorspar mining was one of the main employers in Weardale, Allendale and the Rookhope and Derwent Valleys.
Local heritage interpreter Neil Diment has been commissioned by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership and the Friends of Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum, to gather the stories of those involved in the industry.
Fluorspar is the commercial name for fluorite, one of the most common minerals found in the North Pennines.
In the 19th Century it was regarded as a waste product of lead mining but by the 20th Century it had become valuable for the steel and chemical industries.
It also became a popular material used to decorate homes and gardens.
Mr Diment said: “Hundreds of people were employed in this industry in the North Pennines but there is hardly any written information out there about it.
“Throughout the project I’ve been lucky enough to hear some fascinating stories from some wonderful people.”
To mark the completion of the project’s first stage, an evening dedicated to fluorspar mining will be held at Upper Weardale Town Hall in St John’s Chapel on Friday, May 10.
There will be a display of photographs and a rare screening of a 1974 documentary about fluorspar mining in Weardale.
The film is being shown at 7.30pm and entry is free.
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