WAD MINES - SEATHWAITE Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(small)
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Short walk and short steep climb.
Hidden in trees on the steep fellside above Seathwaite in upper Borrowdale are the few surface remains of mines where a very valuable mineral was extracted from inside the mountain. Legend has it that in the early 1500s, a violent storm in the Borrowdale area of Cumberland led to trees being uprooted and to the discovery of a strange black material underneath.
"Wad" is the local name for a mineral also known as "Black Cawke", "Black Lead", or "Plumbago" - it is in fact graphite - a form of pure carbon comprising layers of platelets that easily rub off, giving it a greasy touch. Ironically had the greasy black mineral that was graphite been slightly more compressed by the geological forces there could easily have been diamonds in them there hills.
Commercial mining operations began at the end of the 16th century and the wad was used to mark sheep, for rust-proofing stoves and, mixed with ale or wine, as a "cure" for a wide range of ailments. (Poisonous metallic compounds present as impurities probably did more harm than good!).
The other use of graphite, in pencils, was another factor in its growing value. In 1580 and 1602 there is evidence that Flemish traders were supplying the Michaelangelo School of Art in Italy with Cumberland graphite and in 1790 it gave birth to the famous Keswick pencil industry (see GC1QYV7).
However, its principal use was military; the coating of moulds for cannon balls. The price was soon set at £100 per ton, but this rose to £1300 by the end of the 18th century, and to £5000 by 1830. It was the high value that led to tight security at the mines, in 1800 guard lodges were built at several entrances, both to protect the mine and to search the workers when leaving and miners had to change under the close scrutiny of security guards.
When a rich deposit was found it could see the market flooded and hence a drop in price - a worker in the mine could boast on such good days that he could get 'a thousand pounds worth out in half an hour.' As with our own OPEC oil producers the mine owners tried to control the market by shutting down production after such large finds. But in 1710 the re-opening of one mine after a lengthy shutdown uncovered the fact that thieves had got into the mine and dug out all the valuable wad and in 1752, after an armed raid, an Act of Parliament made it an offence to steal wad, punishable by up to seven years transportation.
Remains of the guard house can be seen at the lowest level and nearby the boundary stone of John Banks Esquire, local benefactor, erected in 1752 following the Act of Parliament protecting the mine - the NT have replicated this stone in the path by the site of a water powered mill where the wad was crushed before being sorted and washed at Seathwaite Farm.
The Act of Parliament must not have been entirely effective as there are reports of black market operations and continuing attacks up to 1771.
The Napoleonic conflict which led to the French being deprived of Cumbrian graphite and Napoleon appointed an army officer to come up with a solution. This was the mixing of graphite powder with clay. This product became the norm and demand for quality wad dropped dramatically. As the need for the wad in castings dropped it grew for the use in pencils but by 1891 the mines were abandoned for good.
Park at Seathwaite and walk west through an arch in the farm buildings, cross the River Derwent footbridge and turn right, cross Newhouse Gill and follow the vague path which zig-zags up the hill immediately to the left after you cross the Gill. The first obvious working, on your right, is Gilbert's Level, with the remains of a guard lodge.
If like us your curiosity is biting then you will not be disappointed if you continue up the hill, past Farey's Level, (a walk-in size passage with a deep hole in the floor a few metres in), until you reach the Gills Stage. There are two entrances at this level around the corner in the side of Newhouse Gill gully – and the view down the Gill and up the valley is truly magnificent 
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PLEASE TAKE CARE AND ENJOY – IF YOU ARE SENSIBLE THERE IS NO REAL DANGER. KEEP AN EYE ON THE KIDS AND IF THE PARENTS AREN’T WITH YOU DON’T BE DAFT!
Maybe this could be the origin of the colloquialism for cash ‘wad’ – do you know?
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fvqr bs obhyqre haqre zbff.
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