The Museum of Lead Mining’s 50th Anniversary Seeks Your Involvement in ‘Lead Goes Gold’

The Museum of Lead Mining will have been nestling in the Lowther Hills for 50 years in July 2024 and the team at the museum wants to commemorate this milestone by recording local stories and memories related to the mining community.

Some of these narratives will be drawn from the archive, with the hope that others will be contemporary and forward-looking, projecting aspirations for the next 50 years.

Share Your Stories & Memories

The museum needs your help to mark the museum’s Golden Anniversary by sharing living stories and memories related to the local mining community. The stories can be anything relevant you wish to share. The museum hopes to cover a range of topics including mining, the Miners’ Library, Wanlockhead Village School, local sports teams and games, mining tools, cooking, and more!

All the stories will be put into a booklet which will also contain tales from the more distant past and thoughts for the next 50 years.

The stories do not have to be long, even a few lines can tell a tale. The stories can make you smile or bring a tear to the eye. It would be great if you have a photo to share too!

If you would like more information or to share a story, please email [email protected] – They are looking forward to hearing from you!

The museum is Scotland’s only lead mining museum and underground mine tour.

About The Museum of Lead Mining

Lead has been mined around Wanlockhead and Leadhills for hundreds of years.

The last working lead mine closed in the 1950s. Work to preserve the local history of the once important lead mining industry began in the early 1970s.

Geoff Downs Rose led the community in conserving the Miners’ Library and collecting local artefacts to form the Museum of Lead Mining.

The museum tells the story of the stoicism and ingenuity of the past community. Wanlockhead Museum Trust, a not-for-profit charity, was established in 1974.

The principles of preservation, conservation and education have been followed for nearly 50 years. It is hoped that the museum’s activity will continue to tell this unique story and support the local community well beyond another 50 years.