Nenthead & the surrounding area – A Potted History

Nenthead – the story of Nenthead begins in 1753 with the extension by the London Lead Company of an existing smelt mill and mine buildings at Rampgill and the building of a group of cottages close to them. In 1825 a "model" village was planned and built by the company providing housing and a wide range of welfare facilities, many of which still exist today.

At a height of 1450 ft, Nenthead can boast to being the highest village in England. The hill on which it stands, from its lower to its upper lanes rises to nearly 1600 ft.

In Nenthead, agriculture and mining existed side by side for centuries, despite the difficulties of the high surrounding fells and the severe winter weather.

This high, once glaciated valley did not attract large numbers of settlers until relatively recent times. By mediaeval times it was sparsely populated, and it mentioned in 1315 as "23 tenants in the valley of Nent and Corbrig-gate". However it was already a hugely important area and those tenants many well have been miners as well as farmers as Alston moor was known for the "silver mines of Carlisle". During the part of the week spent at the often remote mines, the men lived on the fell side in cottages of turf and stone. These early mines supplied lead for the roofs of the Cathedrals of Britain and their high silver content went to a Royal Mint, specially established for this purpose in Carlisle.

The key factor in the development of Nenthead was the huge smelt-mill built in 1738 by Colonel Liddell. He held the lease on the Rampgill mine "on which he expected great profits", when these failed to materialise he was forced to sell. The smelt-mill’s great potential to process lead ore attracted the London Lead Company, who in 1753 took up leases on most of the mines in the area. The London Lead Company has an enormous influence on life in Nenthead, with their planned village, social reforms and benevolent attitudes. The children of all employees, girls as well as boys, underwent the first compulsory schooling in the country, and for a while the wages were linked to the price of corn, a very early instance of index linking.

Nenthead still displays many buildings, which owe their existence to the London Lead Company including The Miners Arms. The village hall was built in 1818 by the company as a school for 200 pupils. The Reading Room was the first free library in England, built by the company in 1833. All company workers were encouraged to read and study, especially technical subjects and chemistry, in order to develop the superior smelting techniques, which were essential if the company was to maintain its reputation for the best quality lead and silver on the market. The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was already well attended, for Methodism was, and remains, a strong faith in the area, following John Wesley’s visits in 1748 and 1770.

The cottages of Hillersdon Terrace were built by the company for their skilled workers in the 1820s, as part of their planned village. "The Row", also known as Gillgill Lane where the first of the company’s cottages were built in the 1750’s before the growth of the planned village.

The smelt-mill chimney was built high on the fell side above the smelt-mill so that the fumes did not position the people and land of Nenthead. The long flue was regularly cleaned out by small boys, in order to recover the lead and silver deposited on the sides. This was dangerous and very unhealthy work.

Smallcleugh mine is renowned for its excellent dry-stone arching. Here, as in other mines, the ore was brought out by ponies wearing head gear and leather coats to protect them from knock and the cold water dripping from the mine roof. In 1901, food prepared in the Miners Arms was taken on mine wagons into Smallcleugh Mine to a large worked –out area known as the Ballroom Flat, where a banquet was held. There is a photograph of the Ballroom hanging in the Miners Arms, along side many other photographs of the mining days.

The mining days in Nenthead are long since over, and the village is much quieter with something of its original appearance no visible with the wonderful variety of wild flowers blooming in the spring and the summer contributing to the beauty of the fells and valleys.

The Miners Arms was the original village inn. The four inns and public houses in Nenthead were used more for travellers accommodation than for drinking. In the 18th century a complain was registered "the temperance Society has ruined the Inn", this led to the rent for the Miners Arms being reduced several times after the London Lead Company bought it in 1823 as it was said that the "miners preferred books to drink".

In our six years at the Miners Arms we have restored the pub to something of its former character taking the walls back to their original stone and using old pitch pews for the seating taken from the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. The warm cosy atmosphere is enhanced by the open fire at one end of the bar and the pot belly stove at the other. We have also refurbished the restaurant, now called "Monets" which offers an "A La Carte" Menu.

Today we have a fast growing reputation for homely accommodation, friendly hospitality, excellent National Prize Wining Cuisine as well as fine real ales, as listed in the "CAMRA Good Beer and Food Guides". We have also held a couple of small Real Ale Festivals, started producing our own homemade preserves and produced the "Miners Arms Cookbook".