Braving the Wind: Capturing Crag Nook and the Remnants of Grove Rake Mine

Today was far from ideal for flying the drone. Strong winds made any attempt at video footage completely unworkable, but I was determined to make the most of the conditions. By keeping the drone low and steady, I was able to capture some interesting photos of two significant locations—Crag Nook, an abandoned building in Ramshaw, and Grove Rake Mine, one of the last fluorspar mines in the North Pennines. Both locations stand as reminders of a past shaped by industry and rural life, now slowly being reclaimed by time and nature.

Crag Nook – Abandoned Building in Ramshaw

Crag Nook is a forgotten building, tucked away in Ramshaw, its history largely unknown. While it appears to have once been a farmhouse or rural dwelling, its current state suggests it has been abandoned for quite some time. The weathered stone walls still stand strong, but signs of decay are evident, with vegetation creeping through cracks and the surrounding landscape slowly reclaiming the site. Structures like this are scattered across the Weardale region, once homes to farmers, miners, and rural workers, now left to decay as economic and industrial shifts changed the way people lived.

From the air, the building’s isolation became even more apparent. The drone shots helped capture its placement within the landscape, showing how the structure once fit into the surrounding fields and pathways. On foot, the details of the stonework and broken windows added a sense of mystery—how long had it been abandoned, and who were the last people to call it home? The overcast sky and strong winds added to the atmosphere, making for some dramatic images that reinforced the feeling of lost history.

Grove Rake Mine – A Fading Industrial Giant

Grove Rake Mine is one of the most striking industrial ruins in the North Pennines, its skeletal remains standing against the windswept landscape. This mine was once an essential part of the region’s fluorspar industry, which thrived through the 19th and 20th centuries, supplying the material for steelmaking, ceramics, and the chemical industry. The mine finally closed in 1999, marking the end of deep mining in the North Pennines. Today, the site is in a state of gradual collapse, but several key structures still remain, offering a glimpse into the past.

The headframe, towering above the site, is perhaps the most iconic feature left standing. This steel structure was once used to hoist miners and materials from the depths below, a crucial part of operations. The headframe is now rusting, but it still dominates the landscape, a symbol of an industry that once defined this part of County Durham. The drone captured its stark, angular form, contrasting against the rolling hills and moorland beyond.

Near the headframe, several old buildings and processing facilities remain, though they are in various states of decay. These structures would have once been filled with the sounds of machinery, workers processing fluorspar before it was transported elsewhere. Today, they are largely empty, their interiors exposed to the elements. Some buildings still bear traces of their past, with remnants of machinery and collapsed roofs hinting at their former use. From above, the layout of the site remains visible, showing how everything was once connected as part of a bustling industrial hub.

Further away from the main site, old storage facilities and abandoned offices still stand, now crumbling. These buildings once housed administrative operations, tool storage, and changing rooms for miners. The interiors have been left to the elements, with peeling paint and rusting metal showing the slow decay of a once-thriving site. The drone was able to capture the arrangement of these structures, revealing how the mine functioned as a complete system, with every building playing its part in the operation.

Scattered across the landscape are the remains of smaller outbuildings and equipment, some barely standing, others collapsed into piles of rubble. These lesser-known structures tell their own stories, each once serving a purpose, whether in ore processing, transport, or general maintenance. From above, the contrast between the industrial ruins and the surrounding open countryside was striking—once a place of noise and activity, now eerily silent.

Wrapping Up the Day

Despite the wind making drone flying difficult, today’s captures at Crag Nook and Grove Rake Mine provided a fascinating insight into the past. The abandoned farmstead at Crag Nook stands as a reminder of rural life, while Grove Rake Mine remains one of the most visually striking remnants of County Durham’s mining heritage. Capturing these locations from both the air and on foot added a new perspective to their stories, reinforcing how time, industry, and nature shape the landscapes we explore today.