Nidderdale’s geology underpins a plentiful supply of lead, iron and coal which has been mined extensively over the years and played a significant role in the area’s industrial development.

Lead mining activity, particularly around Greenhow and Ashfoldside, traces back to Roman times. In the twelfth century, the lead mines were a key resource for the growing monastic estates belonging to Fountains and Byland Abbeys.

From the early seventeenth century, the area became increasingly industrialised as an intense period of exploration to find and mine more lead gained momentum. An entire village was established at Greenhow to house miners. By the mid-nineteenth century, the mines were still being exploited but with new technology such as water wheels to power machinery. Today, remnants of smelt mills, mine shafts, and spoil heaps offer a striking glimpse into this industrious chapter of the area’s past.

Coal was a vital part of the lead smelting process and was mined from three large mines at the northern end of the dale. In the mid-nineteenth century these mines were being worked consistently until demand fell after the opening of the railway as cheaper coal became more readily available from larger Yorkshire coalfields.