Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum facts for kids

The Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum is a cool place to visit! It's a museum found in Threlkeld, which is about 3 miles (5 km) east of Keswick. You'll find it in the beautiful Lake District area of Cumbria, England.

At the museum, you can explore an old quarry filled with amazing old machines like trains and cranes. You can also go on an underground tour of a pretend mine, learn about rocks and mining in the museum, and even try searching for minerals yourself!

Exploring the Quarry's Past

Machines on display outside

The Threlkeld Quarry first opened way back in 1870. It started by providing stones to help build the Penrith-Keswick railway line. Later, the stone from this quarry was used for other important projects.

For example, the Manchester Corporation Water Works used the stone for their big water project at Thirlmere. The quarry also supplied stones for the Crewe-Carlisle railway line, for building roads, and for making special stone for buildings. The quarry, which dug up granite, finally closed in 1982. Now, it's home to the Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum, run by dedicated staff and volunteers.

Riding the Museum Railway

Small tipper trucks on the railway

The museum has its own special railway! It uses narrow gauge trains, which means the tracks are closer together than regular train tracks. These trains are a fun way to see the quarry.

Meet Sir Tom the Steam Train

The steam train named 'Sir Tom' is a real star at the museum. It was built in 1926 by a company called W.G. Bagnall in Stafford. The train was named after Sir Tom Callender.

'Sir Tom' is a special type of steam train called an 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive. It worked at a company called BICC in Kent until 1968. After resting for 33 years, 'Sir Tom' arrived at Threlkeld in 2001. Since then, it has been carefully fixed up and rebuilt. 'Sir Tom' completed its first full season of work at the museum in 2010. Today, it mostly pulls passenger trains, taking visitors from the middle part of the quarry into the inner quarry.

A Hunslet diesel train

Outdoor Machine Display

A Ruston steam shovel and a narrow gauge train

Outside, the museum has a fantastic collection of old machines that were used in quarries and mines. You can see many different types of equipment up close!

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  A visiting Hudswell Clarke steam train

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  A scene showing old steam-powered quarrying

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  A Ruston pile driver machine

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  An Aveling-Barford dump truck

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  An Avonside steam train