Barite

specimen number:
2102263

location:
Ullcoats Mine, Egremont, Copeland, Cumbria, England, UK

description:
An attractive cluster of thick bladed lustrous slightly translucent pinkish barite crystals without matrix. The color due to the presence of iron oxide. In good condition, cleaved only on what I consider the base of the piece.

The Ullcoats Mine, located near Egremont in West Cumbria, England, was a premier producer of high-grade hematite iron ore within the famous West Cumberland iron district. Geologically, the mine exploited massive replacement bodies where iron-rich hydrothermal solutions permeated Carboniferous Limestone, often concentrating along the contact zone with the overlying New Red Sandstone. The ore was noted for its purity and occurred both as dense, metallic hematite and the iconic "kidney ore" botryoidal habit, occasionally accompanied by exceptional crystals of calcite and quartz in open vugs. Historically, the mine was developed relatively late for the district, with the Ullcoats Mining Company commencing operations in 1900 after successful boreholes proved the existence of a deep ore body. It became one of the most productive and modern mines in the region, continuing to operate through various ownerships, including the United Steel Companies, until its eventual closure in 1973. The shutdown of Ullcoats, along with the adjacent Florence and Beckermet mines, marked the end of an era for industrial hematite mining in the Egremont area, though the site remains a significant part of Cumbria's rich industrial heritage.

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