Editing Nenthead (section)

==History==
Nenthead was a major centre for lead and silver mining in the [[North Pennines]] of Britain. The first smelt mill was built at Nenthead in 1737 by George Liddle, and this was subsequently expanded by the London Lead Company. By 1882 the smelt mill was capable of smelting 8,000 bings, i.e., {{Convert|64000|long cwt|tonnes}}, of ore per annum.<ref>p178 Fairbairn (1993) The Mines of Alston Moor.</ref>

Nenthead village in 1861 had 2,000 people, mostly [[Methodist]] and employed by the [[Quaker|Quaker-owned]] [[London Lead Company]] in the Nenthead Mines - some of the most productive in the country. The Quakers built housing, a school, a reading room, public baths and a wash-house for the miners and their families.

Nenthead has accessible mines remaining, [[Whim (mining)|horse whims]] and a {{convert|260|ft|m|0}} engine shaft in [[Rampghill mine|Rampghill]]. The mines closed in 1961 and there is a heritage centre displaying their history.
[[File:cumbria Rampgill entrance.jpg|thumb|left|Rampgill Nenthead]]
The economy of the village relies on tourism. A long distance cycle route, the [[NCN C2C|C2C]], passes through Nenthead. The Grade 2 listed [[Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)|Wesleyan Methodist]] chapel has not been used since 2002 but benefitted from a [[Heritage Lottery Fund|Heritage Lottery Grant]] of £134,500.<ref>Cumberland and Westmoreland Herald 8 March 2014 page 2 'High Sheriff's stamp of approval for Nenthead plan'</ref> The post office and community shop occupies the building which was once a reading room for the miners.
[[File:Nenthead, Cumbria.JPG|thumb|Nenthead old Methodist Chapel in 2014]]

Nenthead is around {{convert|4.4|mi|1}} east of [[Alston, Cumbria|Alston]], {{convert|44.3|mi|1}} west of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], {{convert|34.4|mi|1}} south east of [[Carlisle]], {{convert|24|mi|1}} east of [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], and {{convert|20.5|mi|1}} west of [[Hexham]].

County Council subsidies have maintained limited bus services to [[Alston, Cumbria|Alston]] and beyond. However, in 2014 cuts to these subsidies were being discussed, threatening the existence of bus services for the village.<ref>The Cumberland News 25 July 2014  'Keep bus services or we'll be stranded': 'Fears remote areas will be more isolated'.The report cites the subsidies provided by Cumbria CC; 'Each year the 680 service from Nenthead to Carlisle and the 889 from Nenthead to Hexham, that runs only on a Tuesday, cost the council £22,953 and £2,264 respectively'. The CC has no statutory duty to subsidise transport.</ref>