This week’s #FindsFriday is all about industrial archaeology. This axle was recovered from a river during our 2018 excavations at Carrshield, in Northumberland. The site is known for its post-medieval lead mines and ore works, and so it is clear the axle would have been part of a mine cart. The axle would have been one of two sets of wheels (bogies) that held a large hopper. This would have been used on a railway and would have moved raw materials through the mine. We can see that both wheels have a flange, where they would have fit onto the tracks. This axle has a narrow gauge, measuring c.600mm. Narrow-gauge railways were much easier to use in difficult terrain than their larger counterparts, and so were often used in mines…..and Temples of Doom!