Then and Now Photos - Greenside Mine

Greenside Mine dominated life in Glenridding before the war. Much of the village was built around the mine for accommodation and leisure times. Unlike in the Second World War WWII there were no “reserved occupations” as such and so the mine lost many of its workers to the War. Many of those who are listed on the War Memorial and the Roll of Honour were working at Greenside when they volunteered. This meant that production actually fell during the war. In fact in 1915 18 tons of lead were bought from Threlkeld Mines Ltd, possibly to make up the war effort quota. After the war many men returned to work and the mine expanded again until its closure in 1961.

For more information on Greenside Mine we would recommend looking at Ian Tyler’s excellent book Greenside – A Tale of Lakeland Miners.

Greenside Production Figures during WWI. This and the photo above are reproduced from the excellent book Greenside A Tale of Lakeland Miners by Ian Tyler. The photo below shows Greenside miners in the 1880s.

The Mine Workings are now sealed off but many of the remaining buildings are still in use including the Helvellyn YHA, and the home of the Lake District Skiing Club. Working with the LDNP there is currently an initiative to develop a new exhibition on the history of the mine.

Workers in Greenside Mine around 1910. The man on the left is Captain Borlase, father of Lieutenant Edward Borlase who was one of mine managers after the war and is featured on the Roll of Honour in Glenridding Village Hall.