Periodically, lead and silver carried over in the gases and deposited in the chimney were dug out and recovered, rather than going to waste.

The original St John's in Rookhope was built in 1822, but at the end of the 19th century it was pulled down and rebuilt in its current position in 1905.

[5] Rookhope is in the parliamentary constituency of North West Durham, for which Richard Holden is the first Conservative Member of Parliament.

The date of the action (a raid) is precise: 6 December 1569, when robbers from Tynedale made a foray into Weardale.

The poet W. H. Auden was familiar with this whole area of the North Pennines and its derelict lead mines, having visited Rookhope at the age of 12 in 1919.