Just had a right laugh in Masson Mine. Went in the entrance in the quarry (which incidentally has the most unappealing looking sport routes I have ever seen) and followed the normal route through to the hole in the floor with the big hawser rope. Down that and continued along to arrive at a largish area containing an oversized dustbin, some other old artifacts and a big vertical shaft with a compressed air pipe in it. Climbed the shaft (I think it was about 35 - 40m) but couldn't get out at the top cos the last 12 ft or so was a large diameter rotting steel drum with no holds anywhere. With hindsight I suspect that it had concrete sleepers on top above the corrugated iron. Had to climb back down. Any members of the mighty Masson CC on here know the name of this shaft and anything else about it?

Ta,
Jules

i have an original survey of the mine somewhere, done before the quarry destroyed most of it.
I believe (if my memory serves me right) that the shaft you are refering to is called 'Beck Shaft' and you are right, it is topped with sleepers and used to have some iron work around it on the surface...

I'll have a look for that survey and post it up if i find it...

Tim :smokin:

thanks for that Tim.

Hi,

I've seen that shaft, and wondered where it came out on the surface.

I'm interested in Masson Mine because of the hint in "Caves of Derbyshire" that it is possible to do a through trip and come out of Youds Level in the gorge. Does anyone know if that trip is really possible, and if so, what the route is?

It would be a very deep through trip if it is viable....

Yes the through trip is possible, I too did a lot of poking around in this area about ten years ago, as we were on very good terms with the local farmers there.

Unfortunately, due to quarrying at the top, Great Masson Mine no longer links to the Gentlewomans pipe (& Youd's Level), you can however get into the very top of the gentlewomans pipe via the Gentlewomans Shaft located under a large boulder about 20 feet back from the edge of the quarry.
The shaft is about 100ish feet deep (if i remember right) which then drops you into the main pipe.. Heading easily down hill you pass the bottom of the 'Overseer Shaft' at about 200' deep. (now capped with concrete sleepers, we decended this hand picked shaft once, but is not advisable to do so due to the very unstable nature of the ginging at the top :crazy: )

Beyond the foot of the overseer shaft, you pass two tight squeezes into an area known as 'Old Jant mine' although the main route through is obvious, it is quite a complex section and worth a good look round..

Beyond Old Jant, you join the main sough, where on the left a short passage leads to the foot of 'Day Shaft' (aka Deep Shaft).

Day shaft is a magnificent hand picked 288 foot deep 'free hanging' shaft. This shaft was reopened and recapped by myself about 10 years ago. and now requires a large adjustable spanner to open the lid. (be sure to see the farmer, Mr & Mrs Wardman at Greenhills Farm beforehand)

from the foot of day shaft a short continuation of the passage leads to a sump leading into some flooded levels (partially dived by myself but not yet concluded)

Back into the main sough, The classic coffin level leads past the bottom of the now partially filled in 'Railway shaft' then past the wet 'Waterfall shaft'
beyond, the passage increases in size past yet more flooded stopes to eventually emerge out of a manhole cover in the childrens playground behind the toilets at the 'artist corner' car park in matlock bath.

Tim :smokin:

Thanks, thats a great description.

...this should go into the new "Caves of Derbyshire" guide that is in prepartion...