Snake Mine

AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi all,

I've got a really interesting description of "Snake Mine", Hopton from the 60's. It has a 250ft internal shaft (alledgedly) and other shafts down there were "unexplored".

I'm interested in having a visit there- but I don't know exactly where it is. Ithink its actually "Hopton Wood", so it may have been destroyed by quarrying

Anyone have any information, or access details, or even been there....?

There is one photo I've found of a gin on the surface, but it dates from 1900's.

Entry is apparently "through a coe"

Andy
 
paul

paul

Moderator
AndyF said:
Hi all,

I've got a really interesting description of "Snake Mine", Hopton from the 60's. It has a 250ft internal shaft (alledgedly) and other shafts down there were "unexplored".

I'm interested in having a visit there- but I don't know exactly where it is. Ithink its actually "Hopton Wood", so it may have been destroyed by quarrying

Anyone have any information, or access details, or even been there....?

There is one photo I've found of a gin on the surface, but it dates from 1900's.

Entry is apparently "through a coe"

Andy
Click to expand...

Have you tried contacting John Beck (who maintains the Derbyshire Cave Registry)?
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
dude,
This area has got me interested too, i was up there a couple of weeks ago, and managed to get on good terms with one of the local farmers...

Any chance of a looksie at this picture you found?

Tim
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi,

The picture is on-line in a PDF :-

http://www.peakdistrict.org/pubs/leadrakes/intro.pdf

If you search the document for Snake Mine you will see it..

I'll write up the notes I have (not much I'm afraid) and put them here too...

Maybe we could tie up for a trip down there, if it is accessable..

andyf
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
It appears that PDMHS have had quite a lot to do with Snake mine... I found this list of references to it in thier bulletins..

Snake Mine, Hoptonwood, Derbyshire

Vol 3 (5) pp 291-298 (F,P) - Snake Mine, Hoptonwood, Derbyshire
Vol 3 (4) pp 253-255 (F,P) - Ore Buddles at Snake Mine, Hopton and at Bonsall Leys
Vol 4 (1) pp 31-33 - A Manhole Cover for Snake Mine
Vol 7 (6) pp 335-338 - Snake Mine: Some Recent Findings
Vol 3 (4) pp 249-252 - Ore Buddles at Snake Mine, Hopton and at Bonsall Leys -

I do have access to these books but can't get to them until the weekend.. i'll have a look through them and post my findings back here after the weekend..

There's also this thread in the same region http://ukcaving.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1051

Tim
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi

Thanks, that sounds interesting. I think PDMHS did a lot of poking around in mines like this in the 60's and 70's, but many have now slipped into obscurity. It would be good to try to get a few more included in the new Peak Caving guide.

I've now tracked down the original article form where my notes were taken. I've scanned it, will I get shot/flamed if I upload it to the picture gallery.....?

Andyf
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi

Thanks, that sounds interesting. I think PDMHS did a lot of poking around in mines like this in the 60's and 70's, but many have now slipped into obscurity. It would be good to try to get a few more included in the new Peak Caving guide.

I've now tracked down the original article form where my notes were taken. I've scanned it, will I get shot/flamed if I upload it to the picture gallery.....?

Andyf
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
AndyF said:
will I get shot/flamed if I upload it to the picture gallery.....?
Click to expand...

I don't think so, not if you quote/credit the source of the picture/info..

Tim
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
Dude...
Had a look this weekend for those old PDMHS Bulletins.. unfortunatley i could only get access to the volume regarding the new manhole cover that was put on in 1968 by PDMHS..
It does however give some background and history to the place and makes very good reading...

Then, seeing as we had nothing better to do, we had a drive down the road to go and have a look for it.

Using the grid reference from the PDMHS article the shaft was located with ease and a few surface pictures were taken..

I tried to upload the pictures here but the gallery dosen't seem to be working properly, so i put all the info on my site for ya..

I've pm'd you the link to the info..

If ya fancy meeting up for a trip down there, gimmie a shout or something..

Cheers
Tim :smokin:
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi,

Wow, that looks like an interesting shaft. Looks like some work on a new cover would be justified. My description, however, covers a climbing shaft entrance which goes down in smaller steps and intercepts the engine shaft further down.

I'll pm you in a week or so and tie up for a trip.

andyf
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
I'm guessing this is the same picture you found....
but here it is anyway..
Picture.jpg


Tim:smokin:
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Hi,

No thats a different picture....

The one I found was embedded in a PDF so I can't extract it, but shows the gin and the farm in the background.

I moved house last week to Matlock, so I'm in the area during the week now. I drove to the mine for a quick look one evening.

On the slope of the spoil cone (20 ft from main shaft) is an old ruined coe. This has a crawl leading off it to the head of a 45ft pitch, which is the route described in my description.

Still in house move chaos mode, but I'll PM you later this week to try to arrange a trip...

andyf
 
D

Deep-Penetration

Guest
I know, house moving is a nightmare.. we're only just getting this place straight now and we've been here a year, (although we do have stuff still in boxes)

Interesting picture that innit? look forward to getting in there, although i was talking to a guy from PDMHS this weekend, (who was also interested in visiting) and he said the landowner/farmer used to be a bit cautious about having cavers on his land when he had animals in the field...

Might be an idea to go and see him a couple of days in advance to see when would suit him..

Tim :smokin:
 
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