Memories of Hilton

Mining at Hilton 1948 - 50

In 1948 I started my career as a Mining Engineer working as a miner at Bill Wharton's barytes mine on Long Fell and worked there for three months, living in lodgings at Rose Cottage in Hilton, before leaving to commence my studies at the Camborne School of Mines. Bill, who lived with his wife at Townhead Cottage, was quite a character and one of my first mentors; he employed about 10 of us, some from Hilton and others from Brough.
I don't think the mines could have been very profitable - I suspect his wife's hairdressing business in Kirkby Stephen paid our wages more than once. The mineral was hauled down from the mine and washed at a rudimentary plant just above the village using water from Scordale Beck. Afterwards the washed mineral was sent to Glasgow. Bill also had the license covering the old lead mines up Scordale. I surveyed these old workings starting in 1948 and continued this work in 1949 and 1950 after Bill sold his mineral rights to Laporte Chemicals who operated the nearby Silverband Barytes Mine up on Dun Fell, above Dufton. Bill arranged for me to work for Laporte Chemicals at this mine during my vacations. On weekends, together with some chaps from Hilton, we recovered very beautiful mineral specimens from some of the old Scordale workings, selling them to a collector in Penrith. I have very fond memories of Hilton and have been back a few times. Its not the same now. Then its habitants were real Cumbrians who worked the land or in the mine. Now its more of a weekend retreat for city dwellers. I hope they enjoy it like I did.
I left the UK and emigrated to Western Canada in 1951 but kept in touch with Bill Wharton until he died. After selling his mines he went back to Workington, where he originally came from. I live in Spain now, retired after starting up and then managing a couple of big lead-zinc mines there.