Monument record MAB5525 - IRONSTONE MINE, THE LECHT

Remains of a now disused iron manganese mine, dating from 1730 when iron ore was first mined here by the London-based York Building Company.

Remains of a now disused iron manganese mine, dating from 1730 when iron ore was first mined here by the London-based York Building Company. The ore was transported on horseback to Coulnakyle, near Nethybridge, where furnaces were built. The mine had built up losses within two years and it was finally abandoned in 1737. It was re-opened in 1841 by the Duke of Richmond and worked for its more valuable manganese. The workings were extensively developed covering a distance of circa 250 yards, the ore being quarried in three pits, the largest 6- feet deep. In the search for manganese large quantities of iron ore were extracted and piled on the surface. A shaft was sunk to a depth of 85 feet and an adit extended west. Opposite the adit a crushing mill was built with a pair of 25 ft wheels, made in Aberdeen. The ore was crushed, carried on horseback to Portgordon at the mouth of the Spey and then shipped to Newcastle. At its peak 63 people were employed, but with importation of cheaper ore from Russia, the price fell and the Lecht mine was closed in 1846. The most prominent surviving feature of the mining landscape at Lecht is the remains of the crushing mill, a two storied, rubble built building with tooled rubble dressings. There is a large arched doorway with segmental arched openings, which was restored and re-roofed with local slate in the 1980s. Dating from the mid 19th century phase of works, it was powered by a water wheel measuring almost 8m in diameter which was set at the West gable, a lade running from a quarter of a mile up the valley. The wheel does not survive, however a high level lade suggests an over-shot wheel. Other remains include a mill lade, dumps of waste material, and mine workings which consist of vertical shafts and adits which have been driven at a shallow angle into the hillside. There is also a corn drying kiln and longhouses to the South (NJ21NW0009), which are probably associated.

Period Notes
Built circa 1730. The mine closed in 1737, re-opened in 1841 and closed finally in 1847. It was restored and re-roofed in the 1980s. It was listed on 06/03/1979, and scheduled on 07/03/1994.

Hume, JR, 1977, Industrial Archaeology of Scotland, 182 (Bibliographic reference). SAB730.

Apr 12 1985 , EC 10, EC 10 (Ground Photograph). SAB30402.

Apr 18 2014 , AAS-GR-14-04-149 - 156, AAS-GR-14-04-149 - 156 (Ground Photograph). SAB30849.

Jan 1 1989 , AAS/GR/89/CT101, AAS/GR/89/CT101 (Ground Photograph). SAB32763.

MORAY DISTRICT COUNCIL, n.d., THE GEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF THE LECHT IRON-MANGANESE MINE (K NICHOLSON). MUSEUM INFORMATION SHEET NO. 8, No 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1201.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2026 3:16PM