In a message dated 30/07/2004 01:06:34 GMT Daylight Time, ch0pk1n5@yahoo.com writes: Might be of use to someone and could possibly be a place to start, I seem to remember many years ago that there was a lead mining museum/centre at a place called I think Killthope Wheel, about 10 miles West of Stanhope due to adverse weather we did not get to it Killhope Museum is a major industrial museum, of national standing. That is why I mentioned Killhope (which had a washing floor etc) as being "one of the larger mines" with no more detail. The original question was, after all, about Rookhope, not Killhope. Killhope is very "school-party oriented" and therefore very child-friendly - which is not to say that adults are not welcome or will not get a great deal out of a visit. As Killhope is right at the top of Weardale, just below Killhope Cross, where the road crosses the hills towards Nenthead, becoming the highest main road in England in the process, be prepared to either approach it via Alston and Nenthead or else have a very long journey up Weardale. In a bad winter (like we used to get!), forget it. I once saw a bus parked on a main road near there, next to snow-drifts higher than it was - and that was at Easter! There has been lots written about lead mining in the NE in general. See "Lead Mining in the North Pennines" by Raistrick and Jennings, and also Les Turnbull's "The History of Lead Mining in the North East of England". Both are now no doubt well out of print, but a major Library might stock them. Raistrick and Jennings is old, seminal and serious, although illustrated with some photographs. Turnbull is intended for those new to the subject and is essentially a picture-book with informative captions - and a text as well. Other books such as Peter Bowles' "Clearing the Forest", a historical geographer's look at the history of Weardale, inevitably have a lot in them about lead mining. One or two of the papers in back numbers of the Durham County Local History Society's Bulletin are also relevant to this subject. Geoff Nicholson 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU Long-established Professional Genealogist: ask for details of NBL/DUR family history research by THE local expert, working for YOU.