UK Mining Ventures Presents:

The Rogerley Mine, Weardale, County Durham, England

Fluorite from the Rogerley Mine.

The Rogerley mine is located in an abandoned 19th century limestone quarry near the village of Frosterley in the historic Weardale mining district, northern England. First discovered in the early 1970’s by partners Lindsay Greenbank and Mick Sutcliffe, the Rogerley is, to date, the only mine in the UK to be operated on a commercial basis solely for mineral specimens. The mine was worked on a weekend basis by the partners through the early 1990’s, producing a limited, but fairly steady stream of high quality green fluorite specimens.

Upon retiring from mining in 1996, the partners generously offered to assist in transferring operation of the mine to a group of interested Americans. Operating as UK Mining Ventures, the new partnership began full time mining in May, 1999. After rehabilitating the mine, tunneling began, and on June 12 a major fluorite-lined cavity was encountered. Excavation of what became known as the Black Sheep pocket lasted through the summer, and hundreds of high quality specimens were collected. The use of a hydraulic-powered diamond chain-saw allowed the collection of numerous large matrix specimens, which would have otherwise been impossible to extract from the tough silicified limestone host rock without serious damage. A second series of cavities containing large, opaque purple fluorite crystals coated with a quartz druze was also found. This became known as the Weasel pocket after a former inhabitant of the mine.

The Rogerley Mine seen from below the dumps, May, 2000.

The Rogerley Mine was reopened for a second season in late May, 2000. The mining crew this year was made up of Americans Jim Clanin, Byron Weege, and Jonina Pogue, along with Dave Beadle, an experienced local miner. After driving approximately 40 feet (13 meters) of new tunnel to access the productive "flats" behind the previous year's pocket, green fluorite-containing cavities were encountered on July 2. Production of specimens from this area lasted through the summer mining season. Many high quality specimens of green fluorite, some with individual crystals up to 4 cm on edge were recovered.

The Weardale district has long been famous for its specimens of magnificent fluorite. Specimens from famous mines such as the Heights, Boltsburn, Blackdene, Cambokeels, and Frazer’s Hush now grace many collections world-wide. In the summer of 1999 the Groverake Mine, which was last operating fluorspar mine in Weardale (and possibly the entire UK) closed, ending a centuries long tradition of mining in the area. Future specimen production from this area is now in the hands of operations like the Rogerley.

The crew - Dave, Jim, and Byron at the mine, September, 2000.

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