Hematite

specimen number:
2282038

location:
Florence Mine, Egremont, Cumbria, England, UK

description:
A good classic example of hematite from England. In very good condition all around.

The Florence mine, located near Egremont in West Cumbria, England, was one of the last operating underground hematite iron ore mines in Europe. Geologically, the deposit is a classic example of a carbonate replacement system, where iron-rich hydrothermal fluids migrated along fault zones to replace Carboniferous limestone with massive, high-grade deposits of kidney ore hematite and specularite. These ores filled extensive solution cavities and fractures, occasionally forming spectacular cavities lined with botryoidal hematite configurations and quartz crystals. Sinking of the Florence shafts began in 1914 under the Millom and Askam Hematite Iron Company, with full production commencing by 1920. The mine operated continuously throughout the twentieth century, eventually interconnecting underground with the adjacent Ullcoats and Hodbarrow workings to form a massive extraction network. Commercial iron ore mining officially ceased in 2007 when the pumps were turned off and the deep workings were allowed to flood, ending nearly nine decades of deep mining history at the site.

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