Mining in Peak Speedwell System.

[William_Emmo]

Hi Everyone
Im doing a study on mining that occurred in Speedwell and Peak and areas with water that feeds into the system (Odin, Oxlow...) for a collage project. Im after photos of areas of the system where evidence of miners can be seen e.g Stemple highway, Oxlow avens etc and was wondering if anyone had any?
Also if anyone has any information about when the mines opened in the system such as Mud Hall shaft that would also be great or just any general information on the mining activity in the system.

 

[AR]

If you want photos of mining activity around Castleton you need to talk to pwhole, and also read the book he did with Jim Rieuwerts. As well as that, there's plenty of material available online on the PDMHS website. Go to https://pdmhs.co.uk/files/articles.php and put in "Castleton as the search term, it'll give you plenty of material you can reference.

 

[William_Emmo]

I’ve been talking to Phil about allot of the mining, just difficult to come across the book but I know the TSG library has one.

 

[AR]

There are copies in the local studies sections of various libraries (Bakewell library had a copy last time I looked), plus they did at one point have a copy of vol.1 of Jim's major work on mining in the Peak on the shelves there. Sheffield library may have copies in the reference section too?

 

[William_Emmo]

Thanks, the mining museum when I went had a few magazines on the topic but not too many but I never thought about that so I’ll have a looks around at the libraries then.

 

[pwhole]

I've got Volume 1 of Jim's sough books, and all the relevant PDMHS documents you'll need, either in print of PDF, or both, in many cases. You're welcome to borrow any of it. And if you give me a list of sites you need photos of, I'll dig them out.

 

[William_Emmo]

Thanks, I’ll send you a few locations later on in the week if that’s ok?

 

[pwhole]

Cool, though only evenings possible this week.

 

[William_Emmo]

Ok great, I’ll message you then.

 

[braveduck]

While this subject is running ,I wonder if someone could answer a question about Oxlow ?
Oxlow was one of my first caving trips with the BPC in 1960 . Oxlow is a lead mine and I have always been
puzzled why there is no spoil heap near the entrance .

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Good question - ditto Maskhill, Hazard, Hollandtwine. All reworked for fluorspar or galena remnants/discards?

 

[pwhole]

Hazard and Hollandtwine were definitely scraped over for fluorspar in the 1950s/1960s. Photos from 1910 of Hazard show far more hillocks than are present now. Remember also that lead miners (the Jackson brothers?) briefly tried to reopen Oxlow as a showcave in the late 19th C, so they may have done some surface clearance in preparation for that. Apparently, trial visitors didn't like the entrance pitch

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Hazard and Hollandtwine were definitely scraped over for fluorspar in the 1950s/1960s. Photos from 1910 of Hazard show far more hillocks than are present now. Remember also that lead miners (the Jackson brothers?) briefly tried to reopen Oxlow as a showcave in the late 19th C, so they may have done some surface clearance in preparation for that. Apparently, trial visitors didn't like the entrance pitch

Wimps. You've got to give it to Plumtre(e) and his mates for not "showing fear" to the miners. Were there five Jackson brothers? Just asking for a friend.

 

[pwhole]

They had a sign outside the cave saying "Let me show you the way to go"

 

[AR]

Hazard and Hollandtwine were definitely scraped over for fluorspar in the 1950s/1960s. Photos from 1910 of Hazard show far more hillocks than are present now. Remember also that lead miners (the Jackson brothers?) briefly tried to reopen Oxlow as a showcave in the late 19th C, so they may have done some surface clearance in preparation for that. Apparently, trial visitors didn't like the entrance pitch

The Rowter Farm area was being hillocked for fluorspar during the First World War, so it's possible that Oxlow may have had more of a hillock. Alternatively, if there was enough natural open underground the majority of the waste may never have been brought to day, just thinking about the packwalls around the entrance pitches and how much waste might be stacked behind them?

Edit - also consider Water Icicle - there's virtually no hillock round the shaft there and doesn't look to have been more in the past.

 

[pwhole]

West Chamber has abundant space and some flowing water, and there's definitely evidence of ore dressing. It's possible that only mostly galena needed to be hauled up out of the shaft.

 

[braveduck]

West Chamber has abundant space and some flowing water, and there's definitely evidence of ore dressing. It's possible that only mostly galena needed to be hauled up out of the shaft.

Thanks for all that history . I did wonder if the way to grass was found from the inside . Seems possible .