A LAKE District mine has been removed from Historic England’s at risk register.

A Heritage Lottery Fund grant enabled a two-year project to conserve the remains of Coniston Copper Mines.

More than 150 items were in need of repair and reconstruction.

The mining of copper in Coniston started towards the end of the 16th century.

In the 1830s, a gentleman called John Barratt was assigned manager of the complex and over the next three decades transformed mining here.

Water power was introduced and the mines were developed to reach depths of 270 feet.

The output was so great that in 1859 the Coniston Railway was opened to transport the copper ore. Copper mining, which had fostered the growth of Coniston, stopped in 1914.

But six heritage sites in Cumbria have been added to the Historic England “at risk” register - four of which are places of worship.

The organisation has revealed its list of sites which appear, giving a snapshot of the condition of some of the region’s most important historic buildings, monuments, sites and places.

Across the north west, 19 entries have been removed from the register, while 24 sites have been added because of concerns about their condition - of that figure, more places of worship have been added than removed.

The Settle to Carlisle railway, the Church of St James on Mill Lane in Great Ormside, and the Church of St Bridget on the A595 at Calder Bridge are among the six Cumbrian sites to be added to the list.

Charles Smith, Heritage at Risk principal in the north west, said: “Over the past 20 years we have used the Heritage at Risk register to highlight places in need of care and attention. We have dedicated time, expertise and money to bring cherished places back into use and we are proud to have played our part in saving them from neglect. Despite the successes, other places continue to fall into disrepair - in particular, we’ve seen a rise in the number of places of worship at risk here in the north west.”