Situated 9 miles North of Skipton in North Yorkshire lies the quiet village of Grassington. These days the village is most renowned for its tourism, attracting visitors from across the UK to it's numerous cafes, restaurants and pubs. As well as hosting a number of festivals throughout the year, including a 1940's weekend and the Dickensian festival.
Taking a walk through the high street and up to Grassington Moor however, and you will see remnants of a very different time in the town's history. High up on the wind swept moor, the scenery is disrupted by huge spoil heaps and partially covered mine shafts sinking down into the black abyss. These features are all that's left of the lead mining industry which was once the main source of employment for the area up until 1882.
Following the demise of lead mining within the area in the mid to late 1800's, The mines have been left to fall into disrepair. Most of the major mines were either capped with concrete, covered by railway sleepers or have simply collapsed in on themselves.
Since 2017, The Grassington Mines Appreciation Group have been exploring and documenting the remaining mines across the moor. Re-entering underground levels unvisited for over 200 years, the group has discovered numerous artefacts, clog marks and graffiti left by the local miners generations ago.
Publishing their findings on this website allows you to explore the mines from the safety of your living room. With helmet camera footage of the exploration, to images of the various artefacts, you can view the mines first hand and join the explorers as they venture into the depths of the earth.
