British Fluorspar

nickwilliams

Well-known member
No disrespect Nick but a lot of local people don't understand why it has closed.
The short answer is simply that it wasn't making any money. The longer answer is tied in with the global availability of strategic minerals and cash for investment.

All mines operate in global market where the world price of the mineral they produce governs their income. A mine which is a small stand-alone operation has to generate income which exceeds its costs or it very quickly runs out of cash. A mine which is part of a much bigger global operation does not necessarily have to generate a profit - the owners can afford to sit on the reserves until the world price increases to a level where extraction makes financial sense. However, if it's not operating at a profit then it makes sense to minimise the losses, and employing staff who are no longer needed because production has stopped are a major part of those losses.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
On the upside, at least the ventilation fans should have been stripped out now. Or at least switched off. Just got to figure out a way past that ring arching collapse :oops:

Or talk to PW about his hole. He could charge trespass fees at last and make his money back 😁
 

royfellows

Well-known member
First of all, please, dont shoot the messenger!

FLUORSID BRITISH FLUORSPAR LIMITED
Companies house - public sector information - as I say above, dont etc

ALL directors have resigned making the company illegal, the last one about 10 days ago!
Accounts are overdue.
Last accounts, 2022 show huge debts.
Land Registry search on Mill Dam mine describes it as "Leasehold"
For interested parties I recommend downloading the company accounts that are available and studying them in detail.
For the time being at least, I prefer to just give a 'heads up' and refrain from any comment
 

royfellows

Well-known member
Quoting from a certain source:
"A mine which is part of a much bigger global operation does not necessarily have to generate a profit - the owners can afford to sit on the reserves until the world price increases to a level where extraction makes financial sense."

Reading the accounts, the company was only capitalised to £100K in £1 shares to start with!
 

AR

Well-known member
Something I noticed over the weekend is that the site of the Tearsall opencast is up for sale, I'm not sure whether the company owned it or leased it. However, if BF have completely disintegrated that raises questions about what's happened to the significant bond sums held aside for restoration of the Cav Mill site, also what will happen about dealing with the collapses on Eyam Edge.
 

T pot 2

Active member
I'd guess not much, if at all. The pumps used to drain water towards the East, from depth. Now "the depths" are full and it overspills to the east...
The water from Douse Hole was intercepted by the main drive and was redirected into the raise that comes up from 'C' Drive it then went north towards neatherwater farm however i think it was pumped back up 'C' Drive and sent to Ladywash via the ventilation fans. I think that given time any workings below the 'C' West junction will flood completely and any overflow will drain towards Ladywash mine and flow out to grass via Moorwood and Stoke Soughs.
 
Something I noticed over the weekend is that the site of the Tearsall opencast is up for sale, I'm not sure whether the company owned it or leased it. However, if BF have completely disintegrated that raises questions about what's happened to the significant bond sums held aside for restoration of the Cav Mill site, also what will happen about dealing with the collapses on Eyam Edge.
Cannot see High Rake been back filled either which means another high quality climbing area is ready to be developed 😁
 

T pot 2

Active member
Cannot see High Rake been back filled either which means another high quality climbing area is ready to be developed 😁
Sadly high rake was subjected High explosive action to remove the fluorspar this action shatters the rock left in situ, it may not be suitable for climbing on
 

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
Sadly high rake was subjected High explosive action to remove the fluorspar this action shatters the rock left in situ, it may not be suitable for climbing on
You're right, it'd be useless for climbers.

Years back I did a job or two maintaining some catch fence/mesh in an old quarry (that was being used for landfill, it protected access for the waste trucks). It'd been quarried in benches and blasted with HE (for road stone?). The bench heights would've been perfect for short climbing pitches but the rock was left a fractured mess as they'd wanted to blast it and truck out the material. Not at all like quarried for blocks, those are the climbers' quarries.
 
Sadly high rake was subjected High explosive action to remove the fluorspar this action shatters the rock left in situ, it may not be suitable for climbing

Sadly high rake was subjected High explosive action to remove the fluorspar this action shatters the rock left in situ, it may not be suitable climbing on

You're right, it'd be useless for climbers.

Years back I did a job or two maintaining some catch fence/mesh in an old quarry (that was being used for landfill, it protected access for the waste trucks). It'd been quarried in benches and blasted with HE (for road stone?). The bench heights would've been perfect for short climbing pitches but the rock was left a fractured mess as they'd wanted to blast it and truck out the material. Not at all like quarried for blocks, those are the climbers' quarries.
It's been climbed on already...However the quality levels maybe questionable 🤔
 

Mark

Well-known member
The water from Douse Hole was intercepted by the main drive and was redirected into the raise that comes up from 'C' Drive it then went north towards neatherwater farm however i think it was pumped back up 'C' Drive and sent to Ladywash via the ventilation fans. I think that given time any workings below the 'C' West junction will flood completely and any overflow will drain towards Ladywash mine and flow out to grass via Moorwood and Stoke Soughs.
What was on the other side of the main drive (where the Dowse water went) was it filled in or blocked up?
 
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