Greenside Mine

Eden District Council received a grant from the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to assess the scale and nature of the impact from the mine both to the environment and also to people accessing and using the site.

Greenside Mine is a very important part of the history of Glenridding. As a Scheduled Monument it is recognised as a site of national historical importance. The area is also designated a Special Area of Conservation as recognition that the site is of European ecological importance.

During its operational life the mine produced waste materials from the extraction and processing of the lead ore. Much of this waste has remained on the site and the metals contained within this material may be leaching into the streams and impacting on the flora and fauna.

The Council has been working closely with Lake District National Park Authority, Environment Agency, National Trust, Natural England and English Heritage and is currently in discussion with these organisations regarding the results of this study.