Backside Fell, County Durham

Remains of mining industry

Uploader's Comments

The rubble near to the camera is spoil from an old mine level. In the centre of the image the ruined building is actually an old wheel pit; beyond the pit there's a shallow, partly stone-lined groove which ends at a water-filled shaft. Disappearing into the shaft is a section of chain in the style of a very heavy duty bicycle chain. It's assumed that the rotation of the wheel in the wheel pit operated rods along the groove to give a 'horizontal' reciprocation. The chain then converted that motion into a vertical reciprocating action which would operate a pump to drain water from mine workings below.

Uploaded to Geograph by Trevor Littlewood on 14 July 2011

Creative Commons License Photo © Trevor Littlewood, 14 July 2011. Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons licence

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