Country diary: These mines dazzle in their darkness | Susie White

Nenthead mines, Cumbria: Industry was lured underground by the reserves of lead ore and zinc. What brings us here is the Ballroom and Upside Down RiverKitted out with hard hats and headlamps, our rucksacks filled with flasks and sandwiches, we head up the Nent Valley between barren mounds of spoil. An arched opening burrows into the hillside, the dark adit (passage) of Smallcleugh mine. Any fears I have about travelling deep underground evaporate in the shared excitement of our party led by three guides.We're immediately plunged into a different world. Lights flicker over the tunnel's sandstone blocks, wellies splosh through water and the smells are of damp stone and earth. Delicate white stalactites hang from the roof, their tips glistening with droplets. As the walls become rock-hewn, they are rust-coloured, with pockets of minerals gleaming in hollows. Continue reading...