Author: cumberlandgeolsoc

Wednesday 11th October 2023
Time: 19.30 hrs
Friends’ Meeting House, Elliot Park, Keswick. CA12 5NZ

Prof. Robert Chapman, Senior Lecturer, Leeds University

Britain and Ireland are geologically complex, and we are fortunate to have
relatively easy access to rocks that reveal a rich tectonic history. That
diversity of past geological processes is reflected in the wide range of ore
deposits; many of which were once economically important. Whilst mining for lead, copper, iron and latterly zinc, has been of strategic importance, the
winning of gold has been both more geographically and temporally sporadic.

Nevertheless, the history of gold mining in these Islands goes back over
4,000 years, from the Early Bronze Age to the modern day mines of Clogau
and Gwynfynydd in North Wales, Cavanacaw in Northern Ireland and
Cononish, Scotland. Historic exploitation focussed on alluvial gold, again both in Scotland and Ireland, but, in addition, there are a large number of gold localities where smaller amounts of gold can recovered from river gravels.

Whilst these seemingly have no economic potential, the development of
methodologies to characterise gold composition has utilised such
occurrences to enhance our understanding of regional gold mineralization.
This talk will introduce the various different geological environments in which gold forms, and correlate these with the main gold bearing areas of Britain and Ireland that have been exploited at one time or another. There will be a short foray into the research work carried out on indigenous gold at Leeds University, and finally some practical advice on how to go about finding some for yourself.

Start: 10.00am at the cash pay-and-display car park at NY 195150, opposite Gatesgarth Farm (Buttermere). You will need about four £1 coins to pay.

Dr Peter Wilson, Ulster University

Itinerary: Initially a flat valley-floor walk of c.1 km from Gatesgarth Farm to Horse Close alongside Buttermere. Then a steep grassy slope up into Burtness Comb (c. 1 km and c. 400 m ascent). Once in the Comb the terrain becomes increasingly bouldery. The nature and source of the rock avalanche debris will be discussed and recently obtained surface exposure ages will be presented. Other features of geomorphological interest will also be discussed.

The rock avalanche is described in the following papers:

Clark, R. & Wilson, P. 2004. A rock avalanche deposit in Burtness Comb, Lake District, northwest England. Geological Journal 39, 419-430.

Wilson, P. & Jarman, D. 2013. The Burtness Comb rock avalanche, English Lake District: a rare case of rock slope failure – glacier interaction. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 124, 477-483.

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