High Skears Lead Mine
High Skears Lead Mine sits just outside Middleton-in-Teesdale along the eastern side of Hudeshope Beck. It formed part of the remarkable lead-mining landscape that once filled this narrow valley and was one of several workings within walking distance of the town.
British Geological Survey records show High Skears being worked by Backhouse & Co. from 1845 to 1862, before the London Lead Company took over operations from 1863 until 1881. Its position close to Middleton meant the mine was closely connected with the people and working life of the town.
How to get there
High Skears Lead Mine lies around one mile from Middleton-in-Teesdale and was traditionally reached on foot. Historic accounts describe a maintained riverside path leaving the town at the bridge crossing Hudshope Beck at its upper end. From here, miners and visitors followed the beck upstream, walking through wooded banks and level ground divided into small gardens cultivated by miners in their spare time.
The route passed clear signs of mining life, including old levels set into the valley sides, cottages close to the water, and later public baths and wash houses provided nearby. After crossing a wooden bridge, the path reached the Skears mining workshops, set beneath a steep limestone cliff where the valley narrows into a dramatic gorge.
Today, the area can still be explored on foot using public paths. Visitors should take care around uneven ground and respect all remaining mine features.
About the Mine
High Skears was one of several separate mines working the mineral veins around Hudeshope, and it is easy for the histories of the neighbouring Skears workings to become confused.
British Geological Survey records place High Skears on the eastern side of Hudeshope Beck and identify workings on Graham’s Vein, Walton’s Vein and Skears Old Vein.
Backhouse & Co. worked the mine from 1845 to 1862 and produced around 3,890 tons of lead concentrates. The London Lead Company then worked High Skears from 1863 until 1881, although considerably less ore was produced during this later period.
Its location close to Middleton-in-Teesdale made it very different from some of the more isolated mines higher in the Pennines. Miners could travel between the town and the Hudeshope workings, while the wider valley contained workshops, tracks and other features connected with Teesdale’s mining industry.
By the later nineteenth century, High Skears formed part of a much wider working landscape stretching along Hudeshope Beck, alongside mines including Coldberry, Marlbeck and Lodgesyke.
Today, the surviving walls, foundations, spoil and disturbed ground provide another piece of that much larger mining story.
Stone Structures and Working Buildings
These surviving stone walls mark the remains of working buildings linked to High Skears Lead Mine. Built from local limestone, they once housed essential mine activity such as storage, maintenance, and daily operations. Their solid construction reflects the practical, long-term nature of mining at High Skears rather than temporary or speculative workings.
Foundations and Ground-Level Remains
Low walls, stone platforms, and disturbed ground reveal the former layout of the mine site. These remains help show how space was organised for work, movement, and access, with buildings arranged around paths and working areas rather than a single central structure. It offers a clear sense of how the mine functioned as a working place, not just an isolated shaft.
High Skears in the Landscape
Seen through mist and open ground, the remains of High Skears sit quietly within the wider Teesdale landscape. The scattered ruins, set beneath surrounding hills, reflect how closely mining here was woven into the land rather than dominating it. This setting echoes historical accounts describing the mine as part of a cared-for and working valley rather than a remote industrial site.
What Life Was Like for the Miners at High Skears
Life at High Skears was shaped by routine rather than isolation. Unlike many upland lead mines, miners working here were able to live in Middleton-in-Teesdale and walk to work each day along the path beside Hudshope Beck. This daily movement between town and mine meant that work, home life, and community remained closely connected.
The mine buildings provided shelter for tools, materials, and day-to-day operations rather than permanent living quarters. Fires were used for warmth, drying clothes, and preparing simple food during long shifts, especially in colder months. Work underground was physically demanding and often carried out in damp, narrow levels by candle or lamp light, following the lead veins through limestone rock.
Pay depended on output rather than time, and the work required skill, endurance, and cooperation. Although conditions were tough, High Skears was part of a mining system that placed unusual emphasis on welfare, with maintained paths, organised working areas, and later public facilities nearby. These details reflect a working life that, while hard, was woven into everyday life in the dale rather than separated from it.
Can You Visit High Skears Lead Mine Today?
High Skears Lead Mine can still be visited on foot and lies close to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Public paths follow Hudshope Beck towards the former mine site, echoing the historic route once used by miners walking to work. The remains are visible in open ground and include stone walls, foundations, and spoil from earlier workings.
There is no formal management or signage at the site. All structures and mine entrances should be viewed from the outside only. Uneven ground, hidden drops, and unstable masonry are part of the landscape, so care and respect are essential when exploring the area.
A Quiet Place with a Strong Story
High Skears Lead Mine stands out not for its scale, but for how closely it was tied to everyday life in Teesdale. This was a working place shaped by routine, movement, and community, where industry followed the rhythm of the town rather than existing apart from it.
Today, the remaining stonework, scattered ruins, and peaceful setting beneath the surrounding hills offer a strong contrast to the busy working valley described in historic accounts. High Skears reminds us that Teesdale’s mining history was built as much on steady effort and lived experience as on production figures, leaving behind places that still quietly hold their stories.
Spoil Heaps and Waste Stone
These low mounds of broken stone are spoil heaps, created as miners removed waste rock while following lead veins underground. Every load brought to the surface was sorted, with unwanted material tipped nearby. Over time, these piles reshaped the ground around High Skears, leaving clear evidence of sustained, long-term working rather than brief trial mining.
Working Buildings and External Walls
The surviving outer walls show the solid, practical construction used at High Skears. Built to withstand harsh weather and constant use, these structures housed tools, materials, and daily operations linked to the mine. Their size and layout reflect a functional site designed for work rather than comfort or display.
Stone Foundations and Site Layout
Ground-level walls and stone-lined edges reveal how the mine site was organised. These foundations mark former working areas, access points, and boundaries between different tasks. Together, they help reconstruct the working layout of High Skears, showing how space was carefully arranged around efficiency and movement.
Work, Wages and the Teesdale Miners’ Strike
Life at High Skears was shaped not only by physical labour, but by economic uncertainty. During the mid to late nineteenth century, the price of lead fluctuated sharply, at times falling as low as £11 to £13 per ton. When prices dropped, the impact was felt immediately by the men underground.
Newspaper reports from the period describe growing tension between the London Lead Company and its Teesdale workforce, particularly over how much a miner should be allowed to earn. While some men were capable of earning over 20 shillings a week, proposals to limit wages caused widespread dissatisfaction. In 1872, this culminated in a major strike involving miners from across Teesdale, including those working at High Skears.
Meetings were held in Middleton-in-Teesdale, where miners argued not just for better pay, but for fairness, regular payment, and the right for all men to return to work together rather than selectively. The strike highlighted how closely employment, family life, and community were linked in the dale. A decision made underground or in a company office could determine whether a household remained secure or was forced to look elsewhere for work.
Although agreements were eventually negotiated, the dispute revealed the fragile balance between steady employment and financial pressure. For miners at High Skears, work was never guaranteed. It depended on the price of lead, the availability of boys for ore washing, and whether the company judged conditions favourable enough to keep the mine operating.