The William Bruntons and their Buddle

Abstract

The Brunton buddle was a common lead ore separation device in the Northern Dales, supposedly invented by William Brunton at Allendale in Northumberland in 1847. This article outlines the biographies of the two William Bruntons and corrects the supposition about the place and date of invention of the buddle. The buddle is described using William Brunton's words and its method of working outlined. Reference is made to some results of recent calculations which illuminate the range of operation of the buddle. The whole is stimulated by Durham County Council's restoration programme for the Brunton buddle discovered at the Killhope Lead Mining Centre in Upper Weardale in Co Durham.