#hush mining

Route: Alston, Nenthead, Killhope Cross, Nenthead, DOWGANG HUSH, Garrigill, Mount Pleasant, Nenthead, Alston.

Also includes Climbs 9 & 11

This Climb:

Back down from Killhope Cross to start this leg at Holmsfoot, being a natural low spot.

The first part of this climb is simple, but on leaving the village, at the GCC 184 official starting point, you are thrust onto a 20% gradient that marks the toughest first stage of this short sharp shock of a climb. I had elected to have the bike in “tour” (setting 2/4) mode, but found myself immediately struggling, the result of not much summer cycling I suppose. Employing  the boost option to get over that, and a brief rest, the 8-15% of the remaining 1km was tackled in “turbo” (3/4) just to preserve my own sanity.

Explanation of ebike settings

Points of Interest

The name Dowgang Hush is derived from a mining operation that was active during the 18th century and possibly earlier. Hushing is a mining technique that employs a dam or sluice from which water is released in a torrent to release loose top layers and expose heavier metal deposits below. Here it was used to extract Lead and probably Zinc, and was also commonly used for tin and gold. The Downgang Mining Company would most likely have taken its name from the valley, rather than the other way round.

Looking at the pic from Google Streetview below the map above you can make out the small steep sided valley (re-entrant in orienteering speak) which has no  associated stream which was carved out by the hushing operation, with the mounds below (indicated by the embankment symbols) being where the spoil was deposited. (I should do this research before the event so I can stop and look at these things and get my own pics!).