Middleton Dale Mine Level 4

mch

Member
Had a look at this cave/mine recently while taking a friend on a whistle-stop tour of holes in the Dale (I hadn't been in this one before so it was first on the list). We noticed that at the point where the entrance passage intersects the mined level heading north-east there is a short raise that appears to lead to a higher mined level - not mentioned in COTPD. Where the level reduces in size to a crawl just past the junction with the natural cave passage there was a considerable outwards draught, despite COTPD description that it ends in a blind shaft. Due to shortage of time we neither climbed the raise nor crawled to the end of the mine level. COTPD gives no reference for the entry but I noticed that on the map on page 12 of the new second edition of Stoney Middleton Dale SSSI Cave Audit and Conservation Management Plan (available from the DCA, well worth 10 quid) there seem to be some red lines that equate to this cave/mine so a survey must exist. Three questions - does the higher mined level accessed by the raise go anywhere, what is the source of the draught, does anyone have a copy of a survey? Thanks in anticipation.
 

martinm

New member
I'd say ask John Beck,  not sure of his email address atm, but could find  out. He's the most likely person to know about it. Regards, Mel.
 

mch

Member
Thanks Mel, I should have thought of that! I do have his email address so if he doesn't pick up this thread I'll drop him a line.
 

John B

New member
Sorry for the delay. Your email prompted me to follow it up.

We wasted quite a lot of time in the mid 70s digging in here! On the junction is a small stope, but it didn't go anywhere. I've attached the pages from the notebook.

TripleHoleplanofjunction_zpsd05fa852.jpg
TripleHolestope_zpsec34dcc4.jpg


We dug at the end of the left hand branch a little further in, and broke into two small natural chambers on the Shell Bed. What is interesting is the draught. I had forgotten the draught! Perhaps it should be investigated, and chased for a bit. There is a raise in the roof near the end, and at the time we thought it probably connected with Fingal's Cave, directly above.
 

mch

Member
Many thanks for that, John. I guess that we'll have to crawl to the end some time and try and follow the draught.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Please can someone local help me with a little information regarding this site? This is to help in preparing the next Peak District Sump Index. (I may have asked this before on here quite a while ago but a quick search didn't pull up anything useful.)

Page 276/7 in the Caves of the Peak District guide mentions sumps in Levels 4, 9 and 11.
I'm trying to determine whether these are miners' sumps (i.e. shafts) or cavers' sumps (i.e. water filled passages). I'd always assumed these were miners' sumps - but in Level 11 it says: ". . . can be descended to a static blind sump.". This sounds more like a water filled passage.

Help!    :confused:

 

2xw

Active member
I don't recall sumps in any of these and I'd be a little surprised - perhaps someone like Mark Cope is your best bet. Grayson or Rob Eavis would probably know
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Thanks: Rob's often on here so hopefully he'll see this. I reckon Mark could probably help too.
 

Rob

Well-known member
Yer soz. Not been to these levels for ages, can't help i'm afraid.

Have just checked the survex data and there's no useful notes either...
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
2xw said:
I don't recall sumps in any of these and I'd be a little surprised - perhaps someone like Mark Cope is your best bet. Grayson or Rob Eavis would probably know

But . . . if John Beck said there are sumps, perhaps we shouldn't dismiss this altogether.
His reference to a "static blind sump" surely can't refer to a miners shaft?
 

Mark

Well-known member
Eyup John

Mine level 4, (AKA Triple hole) has a sump in wet weather (just a dip in a dug out passage which fills up from percolation drips)

Mine Level 9, had a flooded level at the bottom when we found it (subsequently found to be blind in dry weather)

Mine level 11, same as above

hope that helps
 

2xw

Active member
That'll explain my recollections I only ever went back to Eyam in summers from uni  ;)
 
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