“Very interesting to find out about the minerals found in the area”, H. Mohan, Yaxley

Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, Spar Boxes and models

 Joe Robson (fossils) and Bill Proud (Minerals) spent a lifetime building up collections which we are pleased to display in our museum. 

The limestone of the dales contains the remains of vast tropical seas with corals, blankets of sponges and masses of other marine life, whilst other rocks reveal remains of huge forests of giant ferns and mosses. All can be traced back over 300 million years when the North Pennines lay astride the equator.

Fracturing these rocks are veins of lead ore and other minerals which have supported centuries of mining. Many of the minerals are spectacularly beautiful and some are unique to the area.