Greenhow And Prosperous Lead Mines

How to get to Provident and Prosperous Lead Mines

Directions:

1. Both the short and longer routes begin in the Coldstones Cut car park. (These are both worth a visit when you get back, check out the details for the Coldstones Cut and Lime Kiln here.) Head out the car park at the wooden Public Footpath signpost that points across the road and cross over to the other side.

2. There is a small stone stile that heads over the wall next to the metal gate, and on the other side, you will see the first waymarker for the Geology trail on your right. There is a pull out information board here. Updated 2023: There has recently been a ‘bull in field’ sign put on the wall at the start. We have never encountered the bull or cows whilst doing this walk (now 4 occasions) but it is something to be aware of.

3. Head down the hill on the grassy footpath until you get to the stone wall, at this point, follow the path to the left, keeping the wall on your right until you see a stile over the wall and gate up ahead. You will end up on a tarmacked track

4. SHORT ROUTE If you want to do the short route, continue straight on along the track (don’t turn right) until you reach a further tarmacked access track. Now turn right and head downhill.

5. SHORT ROUTE Soon, you see a gate and a stile across the road. Take this, and continue to follow the road around to the left, until you see the mineworks in the distance. Take your time exploring all the waymarked points as they have a lot of information cunningly hidden away on them, and obviously the ruined buildings and shafts (although not inside! They are dangerous, crumbling and definitely haunted!) When you have explored head to point number 14.

6. LONG ROUTE After reaching the tarmacked track, turn immediately right to start heading downhill, it bends round to the right, so follow that until you reach a few houses. Here the access road turns into a wide grassy track, continuing to head downhill.

7. After a while, the track narrows and leads to a wooden gate by a wooded area. Head through the gate. The path is waymarked with a public bridleway sign. Continue straight on as the track widens again to an access track to the nearby properties. At the end of the access track, you will see a sign post at the junction. Take the track heading left, signposted Ashfold Side Public Bridleway. This is part of the Nidderdale Way.

8. Soon after turning, there is a further signpost, indicating the Nidderdale Way and pointing right, follow this sign and the lane as it heads upwards towards another property, passing it, and then continuing straight on. You need to stick on this lane (there are plenty of horse chestnut trees on this stretch!)

9. Eventually you will reach a bridge over the stream, with a pretty little waterfall on it. Here, cross the bridge and over the cattle grid, heading up the track on the other side and keep heading along the track, as it climbs on the other side. Keep straight on.

10. On your left in less than half a mile there is a wooden gate with a stile and public footpath signs. This is your return route, but to explore the Provident and Prosperous lead mines, you need to carry straight on. You will soon see a large information board with with the details of all the ruins there. You can take a little circular circuit around the ruins and spoil heaps to find out what’s there. Then head back to the wooden gate and signposts mentioned above.

11. Now, with the Prosperous and Providence lead mines to your back, turn right, head over the stile (or through the gate) and continue along another stony walled track. It continues up and round to the left before eventually descending to the ruins of another mining area.

12. You will pass a ruined building on your right, before heading across the ford. In wetter weather you might need to head upstream a bit to cross the beck, otherwise keep on the track and head across the ford.

13. This area contains more abandoned mine levels and loads more information boards, so explore! (be mindful that this area is dangerous, be aware of warning signs and do not enter the mining tunnels)

14. BOTH ROUTES Using the stone hut that can be found roughly in the centre of the area, walk down along the stony track, keeping the hut on your right. The track splits, take the left most track which heads more or less straight on.

15. You will see a yellow marked waymarker on your left. Here keep left on the stony track that begins to climb and bend round to the left. there’s a further information board ahead of you. On the post of the information board, there is a yellow waymarker, pointing up and left. Follow this. The stony track bends round and upwards, then appears to split into two again.

16. On the crest of the hill above there is another information post visible, The path here turns into a grassy one, and heads upwards and slightly left from the stony track. Head to this info board, there is another waymarker visible at the foot of this path.

17. At the next information post, continue up along the grassy path. There is another waymarked post up ahead visible on the horizon. This points to the left, so follow the grassy path round to the left and head across a dilapidated dry stone wall.

18. The path heads steeply up a moundy grassy hill to a stile. This takes into a little new(ish) tree plantation. Head through the trees, and through the grassy mounds ahead. The path here winds back into Greenhow, where after heading up a few steps and passing through a metal gate, you will end up back on the road again. Turn left here and stick to the footpath. The tiny park is a little way up the road on the left.

19. The path follows the edge of the road until just after the graveyard on the left. Be careful here, as the path follows the vergeside, which whilst is well maintained and off road, it does follow the side of the road closely, so be careful. You are only on the road for a short distance though until you reach the national speed limit signs.

20. At this point, you’ll see a metal gate on your right, which skirts around the bottom of the Hanson Quarry. You need to carefully cross this road, it is busy. On the opposite side, head through the gate and turn left. After crossing the entrance to the Hanson Quarry, this path leads you back to the car par

Last walked September 2023