The southern and eastern slopes of the hill referred to on OS maps as Barrow (455m) has various types of chlorite-rich quartz, some of which can be very hard. Other minerals can be found including apatite and glaucodot. These can be collected in the debris on the south facing slope.
DIRECTIONS
♦ From Braithwaite, take the road to Newlands Valley. There is limited parking along this route and the road is narrow and busy. Therefore, it is best to park at the car park at the village of Uzzicar, which is just after the scree slopes on Barrow Hill and walk to the site.
♦ Take the old mine track, which climbs on the right hand side. Follow this south around the back of the hill. You will eventually come to a section with lots of fallen debris on the track and a mixture of heather, rocks, quartz and peat on an embankment. This is where most of the minerals can be found.
♦ Ref: 54.58049°N, 3.18824°W
PROFILE INFO
FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ -There are plenty of minerals at this location, especially some excellent quartz. However, this is not a location for finding fossils.
CHILDREN: ♦ -The scree slopes can be slippery and dangerous, and it is also a long walk. Therefore, this location is not suitable for children.
ACCESS: ♦♦♦ – Barrow Hill is fairly easy to find and the walk is not nearly as bad as the neighbouring Causey Pike, because you simply follow the old mine road, which is fairly easy going.
TYPE: – Minerals at this location can be found in the scree slopes and debris on the hillside.
FOSSIL HUNTING
The most common mineral at Barrow Hill is quartz, which can be found in white, orange, pink and red or, as in the photo, a combination of colours. Other minerals can be found, including apatite and glaucodot. On the east facing slopes, you will find rocks from the Kirkstile Formation of the Skiddaw Group. These do not contain many minerals, so you will need to walk further round to the south-facing slopes, along the old mine track, where you will find a fault with volcanic rocks from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group.
GEOLOGY
On the eastern faces of Barrow Hill, the Kirk Stile Formation can be seen in the scree slopes. On the southern faces, there is a fault in which volcanic rocks from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group yield a variety of minerals.
SAFETY
The scree slopes on the hill can be very steep and slippery, so you should take extreme care. Do not climb the scree slopes too high. It may be easy climbing up, but when you come down again, you will realise how steep it really is.
EQUIPMENT
The minerals at Barrow Hill can usually simply be collected from the debris and scree slopes. However, some of the blocks, especially of quartz, can be extremely large and heavy, and you may want to take a pick to break them down to take back a small number of samples.
ACCESS RIGHTS
This site is an SSSI. This means you can visit the site, but hammering the bedrock is not permitted. For full information about the reasons for the status of the site and restrictions please download the PDF from Natural England – SSSI Information – Causey Pike
It is important to follow our ‘Code of Conduct’ when collecting fossils or visiting any site. Please also read our ‘Terms and Conditions‘
LINKS
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