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Old Iron Ore Mining Pit

Old Iron Ore Mining Pit

Highlight • Historical Site

Old Iron Ore Mining Pit

Recommended by 26 hikers out of 27

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Location: Ham, Hasselt, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Old Iron Ore Mining Pit

4.8

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1. Tree-Lined Avenue – Nature House De Rammelaars loop from Gervoort

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4.7

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2. Nature House De Rammelaars – De Rammelaars Nature Reserve loop from Ham

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Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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3. De Rammelaars Nature Reserve – Tree-Lined Avenue loop from Gervoort

10.6km

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Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

November 26, 2022

A location with a strong story.
Be sure to take some time to take in the scenery.

Information board provides information about iron ore:
About 7 million years ago, the coastline was much further inland. The sea deposited sand in this area. This layer of sand comes to the surface in Diest and is therefore called Diestiaan. Glauconite is found in Diestian. Weathering converts this glauconite into iron oxide.

At the end of the 19th century, several people were employed in the open iron ore mines in Beringen, Paal and Kwaadmechelen. A railway line carried the ore from Gerhoeven across the stream to Hovesteen. The ore was used in the Ruhr area and in the Liège smelters to make rails. Because the iron content here was too low, iron mining in the Kempen disappeared by the turn of the century.

So once upon a time there was economic activity in this peaceful location. Fortunately, we enjoy the peace and nature that has reclaimed everything from iron mining.

Translated by Google •

June 3, 2023

One season drier than the other. In this area iron ore was mined and peat cut. At the end of the nineteenth century there were open iron ore mines. The ore was transported via a railway line from Gerhoeven over the stream to Hovesteen to go from there to the Ruhr area and the Liège smelting furnaces where rails were made from it. However, the iron content was small in this region (Beringen, Paal and Kwaadmechelen) and iron ore mining disappeared from the Kempen. At least that's what it says on the info board of Natuurpunt that you can find here.

Scale and competition also appeared to play a role in the end of this iron mining. Wikipedia: "In the moist brook valley (ie De Rammelaars) small-scale human activities used to take place. There were hay meadows that were irrigated with nutrient-rich water from the brook. Coppice wood was also extracted. Peat was cut and iron ore was also produced on some scale. This was a profitable business especially in the 19th century, but from about 1900, given competition from large-scale iron ore mines, it was no longer profitable."

Translated by Google •

Dave

January 8, 2021

Iron ore was mined here at the end of the nineteenth century ...

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 30 m

Weather

Today

Friday 31 October

14°C

11°C

100 %

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Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Location: Ham, Hasselt, South Limburg, Flanders, Belgium

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Old Iron Ore Mining Pit

1. Tree-Lined Avenue – Nature House De Rammelaars loop from Gervoort

2. Nature House De Rammelaars – De Rammelaars Nature Reserve loop from Ham

3. De Rammelaars Nature Reserve – Tree-Lined Avenue loop from Gervoort

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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