NAMHO 2023 will be hosted by the Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society (CATMHS) in the Lake District at Grasmere, from Friday 7th to Monday 10th July 2023.

A two-day lecture programme with the theme "5000 Years of Mining and Quarrying in The Lake District" will take place at Grasmere Village Hall, Grasmere on Saturday and Sunday.  The village hall will also be the venue for social events on Friday and Saturday evenings.

A varied programme of surface and underground visits is planned on Saturday and Sunday.  A geology walk is planned for Friday, working quarry visits on Monday, and excursions further afield on Tuesday for those wishing to extend their stay and see more of the area.  Grasmere is a busy holiday destination so potential conference delegates are advised to book their accommodation early.  Camping will be provided by the conference organisers – all other types of accommodation must be arranged by delegates.

Potential speakers or exhibitors who may wish to attend the Conference should contact the organisers directly: namho@catmhs.org.uk.

Cumbria has a rich mining history ranging from extraction of stone for Neolithic axe heads to current slate quarrying.  In the west of the county there was coal and iron and in the central part mainly copper at Coniston and lead at Greenside.  Many other minerals have been mined by small concerns, including wolfram, cobalt, zinc, barytes, graphite and of course slate.  Several bands of slate run through the north and south of the Lake District and there are hundreds of quarries, both ancient and modern.

The earliest records are from the Company of Mines Royal, who began mining copper and wad near Keswick in 1565 and at Coniston in 1595.  There are relics to be seen from this period, but most remains are from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Mining in Cumbria has been responsible for the development of many of our towns and villages, particularly Barrow-in-Furness, Coniston and Glenridding.  In the early days minerals were carted to the coast and exported by sea, but the railway, opened in 1859 and partly funded by the mining concerns, changed that and enabled greater prosperity.

CATMHS has been exploring, conserving and recording Cumbrian mining history more than 40 years and the Digging Team has created stable access to mines at Greenside, Coniston, Tilberthwaite, Carrock and Hudgillburn.  NAMHO 2023 will feature a great diversity of trips to suit all tastes, both on the surface and underground, complemented by an informative lecture program.

For any enquiries about the conference, please contact namho@catmhs.org.uk.  For issues with the web pages and booking form, please contact webmaster@namho.org.

Pictures: above left: Coniston Mine - Blue Pool, above right: Burlington, below from left to right: Force Crag Mine, Carrock Mine, Levers Water Mine and Goldscope Mine