Save the date! Stump Cross Mining Co. reopens on 16 March

Simon Edward • March 8, 2024

Visit our gem sluice where visitors of all ages can pan for real gemstones and take them home as a souvenir.

As the song goes, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter… but spring is just around the corner, and to celebrate we're reopening our gem sluice!

Yes, on Saturday 16 March, you can once again pan for real gemstones at Stump Cross Mining Co.

It's a great chance to get some fresh air and connect with the local landscape – all while learning about the mysterious and magical world of gemstones.

But that's not all. We're also holding discovery days where you can pan for gems, dig for fossils and see the caves by UV light.

But before we take a closer look at the gem sluice itself, you might be wondering what our connection with mining is. Let's find out…

Stump Cross and mining: what's the connection?

Stump Cross is slap bang in the middle of what was once lead mining country.

For centuries, the area was a key source of lead for Britain and its colonies – but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the industry began to fade.

Look around the Yorkshire Dales and you can still see the remnants of this old way of life, be it a closed-off mine shaft or the rusting skeleton of a machine.

Picture of Lead mine ruins in the Yorkshire Dales

In fact, it's only thanks to a couple of hardy lead miners that the caverns were discovered at all.

That's why we give visitors a chance to channel their inner miners and pan for treasures in the sluice.

How does the gem sluice work?

The process is simple. First, you take a bag of rough: a mixture of dirt, grit and gemstones. It's your job to separate the treasure from the trash.

To do this, you empty your bag of rough into a tray and then shake it over the gem sluice: a series of wooden troughs that we have on-site.

Just like the frontiersmen of old who would pan for gold in the Yukon River, use the water and the tray to find real gemstones that you can take home and keep.

It's a hands-on activity that kids will love – but it also has an educational element.

Participants are provided with an easy-read chart to help them identify the gems they find.

Our Discovery Days

At Stump Cross, we're passionate about education. We know that the caves provide ample opportunities for learning about geology, history and more.

The gem sluice is another way that we show our commitment to "learning through doing". It's fun, hands-on and educational.

Our Easter Discovery Days are the same. As well as pan for gems, you can also dig for fossils and explore the caverns by gorgeous ultraviolet light.

So if you're looking for an educational family day out in the Dales, book for Stump Cross Mining Co. or one of our Discovery Days today. We look forward to meeting you!

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