campylite

British Classic Mineral Specimens

Murton Mine

Introduction

Murton Mine was worked together with Hilton mine, for lead. Over the years it has produced spectacular specimens of Barite crystals predominantly from a difficult to find area called the Carbonate Shake. Here, sprays of barite crystals grew in gaps between huge limestone boulders, in thick clay. Extracting them was a dangerous job, as the boulders were likely to move and trap the collector.

Associated Mineral Species
Barite, Calcite, Escarpment, Fluorite, Galena, Hilton Mine
Mineral Localities
Weardale
Caldbeck Fells
Alston Moor
West Cumbria
Escarpment