John Varker brought us up to date on lead mineralisation at the start of September, with a fascinating talk on the subject, followed by a field trip to Troller's Gill and Grassington the following weekend.     John covered both the origin of mineralisation in the Yorkshire and Durham Dales and the mining techniques which were used to extract the minerals over many centuries.     It was particularly interesting to hear about his family's connection with the industry in Weardale and some of the social history of the area.

The following Sunday, twelve of us enjoyed a splendid day out, starting at Troller's Gill, north of Bolton Abbey, where we saw the influence of faults and dips on the landscape close to the Craven fault system.     Descending into Troller's Gill, we found plenty of evidence of mining and John was able to tell us about the history and processing of the minerals, which was evident on a very large scale above Grassington.     John explains difficult geology to amateurs with great understanding and I think we all felt that we had learned a huge amount, making the day most enjoyable.     He is happy to take another trip next year, so we look forward to that.

Meet at Marsden railway station (SE 048 119) at 14:00 to look at 3 quarries on Pule Hill.     Only about 2km walking but strong footwear needed. Finish about 17:00