1. The History
Formally known as Coalpit Rake, this interesting lead mine dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and may have been mined as far back as the 14th century. The workings are orientated along a WSW-ENE axis for a distance of approximately half-a-kilometre, it is a complex series of interconnecting vein workings which slope with the bedding at around 20 degrees. The richest ore deposits were most-likely mined out in the 18th century, but throughout the 19th century the existing stops were re-worked and enlarged and still providing some financial gain to the small-scale ventures that were mining there. The ownership of the mine’s mineral rights over the 18th and 19th centuries we as complex as the mine itself. Some of the mine is likely to have been natural caverns but with such extensive works, it’s difficult to judge the extent of these. A complex series of working weave around the main passages, with passages totalling around 2.5km, with the miners accessed the mine through a series of shafts. The mine includes some nice features such as woodpecker (pick) marks and stacks of deads. Some of the grooves in the upper mine system show evidence of sooting left behind from the practice of “firesetting”.
In early 1824 an immense cavern was discovered and named the ‘Devonshire Cavern’ which then led to the former lead mine became one of the oldest show caverns in Matlock, and became the main source of income rather than the central title. A series of steps and viewing platforms still remain from when the cavern was used as a show cave. The lower entrance to the cavern has now gone, but the upper entrance is still very much is prevalence. Lead ore continued to be extracted from the mine in the eastern sections of the mine and in the small passages up the dip towards the show cavern but out of sight of the tourists. By 1847, the output of the mine was miniscule and continued extracxt was puerley to prevent the mine being ‘nicked’ rather than on any economics grounds. The show cave is thought to have closed around 1860, although Black’s guide made reference to the show cavern not normally being open, although private groups may have been allowed in still by appointment.
Extensive reworking of the surface mining features was undertaken in the 1950’s for fluorspar, removing many of the original lead mining surface features, with reworking continuing into the 1970s.
For an encyclopaedic history of the mine and its mining rights over the centuries see this fantastic article in the PDHMS’ Bulletin from Summer 2009 HERE.
2. The Explore
Been having to get more organised of recent now I’ve done an increasing number of lead mines, seeking out the ones I haven’t seen. Not too sure why this one evaded me until now as it’s relatively straightforward to visiit as access is managed by the Derbyshire Caving Association (DCA). You just need to make sure you have a Derbyshire Key. The main difficulty was getting up the steep path up the valley side behind Matlock Bath, up to the entrance. And then orientating ourselves within the mine. It took until we’d gone in and come back out again that we realised that we’d accessed the mine via the upper entrance rather than via the main entrance. After that, the extensive maps of this complex mine/show cave made far more sense and we could see how much of it we’d seen and what we’d missed.
It was an enjoyable hour and twenty minutes we spent here. It’s graded III but you can see most stuff without SRT, doing Grade II difficulty stuff. We headed to the WSW section first, but soon turned around when it got quite challenging, so missed out on the Top Chamber. We then retraced our steps down the slope and headed ESE via the former show cave stairs. Multiple routes at different levels weave in and out of one another and we ended up in the “dustbin” chamber before passing (unbeknown to us) the right turn off to the main entrance. We then came to a tight squeeze round a big boulder and decided it was time to retrace our steps to the upper entrance, and back down the hill. Here we found the main entrance and we popped in briefly here to confirm we’d got this far and beyond first time around.
With our bearings now obtained, we estimated that we’d traversed just over half of the mine’s length, meaning that a revisit to this lovely mine is very much in order at some point in the future.
3. The Photos
On the way up, we passed this. Looks like the remnants of an old lamp standard when the show cavern was open maybe?
Length of old rail:
Here’s the way in at the upper entrance:
In we go!
And on to the former show cavern viewing platform:
Looking down to the left in the main cavern:
And on the left, the rock of doom!
Then up the stairs to the upper reaches:
Heading up this looks like the top of a winze:
Above this looks like a false floor:
Time to head down to the middle section of the mine:
And down the show cavern steps next:
This multi-level section was my favourite part of the mine with its pretty mineralisation:
There’s an old shaft to the surface here, now blocked:
An old miner’s tub:
Down we keep going:
On to the dustbin chamber:
And beyond:
These deads had been calcified:
Narrow side passage:
Remains of an old washing barrel:
Cute little deads stash:
Down the steps past more deads:
This chamber was pretty epic:
This is as far as we go:
Formally known as Coalpit Rake, this interesting lead mine dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and may have been mined as far back as the 14th century. The workings are orientated along a WSW-ENE axis for a distance of approximately half-a-kilometre, it is a complex series of interconnecting vein workings which slope with the bedding at around 20 degrees. The richest ore deposits were most-likely mined out in the 18th century, but throughout the 19th century the existing stops were re-worked and enlarged and still providing some financial gain to the small-scale ventures that were mining there. The ownership of the mine’s mineral rights over the 18th and 19th centuries we as complex as the mine itself. Some of the mine is likely to have been natural caverns but with such extensive works, it’s difficult to judge the extent of these. A complex series of working weave around the main passages, with passages totalling around 2.5km, with the miners accessed the mine through a series of shafts. The mine includes some nice features such as woodpecker (pick) marks and stacks of deads. Some of the grooves in the upper mine system show evidence of sooting left behind from the practice of “firesetting”.
In early 1824 an immense cavern was discovered and named the ‘Devonshire Cavern’ which then led to the former lead mine became one of the oldest show caverns in Matlock, and became the main source of income rather than the central title. A series of steps and viewing platforms still remain from when the cavern was used as a show cave. The lower entrance to the cavern has now gone, but the upper entrance is still very much is prevalence. Lead ore continued to be extracted from the mine in the eastern sections of the mine and in the small passages up the dip towards the show cavern but out of sight of the tourists. By 1847, the output of the mine was miniscule and continued extracxt was puerley to prevent the mine being ‘nicked’ rather than on any economics grounds. The show cave is thought to have closed around 1860, although Black’s guide made reference to the show cavern not normally being open, although private groups may have been allowed in still by appointment.
Extensive reworking of the surface mining features was undertaken in the 1950’s for fluorspar, removing many of the original lead mining surface features, with reworking continuing into the 1970s.
For an encyclopaedic history of the mine and its mining rights over the centuries see this fantastic article in the PDHMS’ Bulletin from Summer 2009 HERE.
2. The Explore
Been having to get more organised of recent now I’ve done an increasing number of lead mines, seeking out the ones I haven’t seen. Not too sure why this one evaded me until now as it’s relatively straightforward to visiit as access is managed by the Derbyshire Caving Association (DCA). You just need to make sure you have a Derbyshire Key. The main difficulty was getting up the steep path up the valley side behind Matlock Bath, up to the entrance. And then orientating ourselves within the mine. It took until we’d gone in and come back out again that we realised that we’d accessed the mine via the upper entrance rather than via the main entrance. After that, the extensive maps of this complex mine/show cave made far more sense and we could see how much of it we’d seen and what we’d missed.
It was an enjoyable hour and twenty minutes we spent here. It’s graded III but you can see most stuff without SRT, doing Grade II difficulty stuff. We headed to the WSW section first, but soon turned around when it got quite challenging, so missed out on the Top Chamber. We then retraced our steps down the slope and headed ESE via the former show cave stairs. Multiple routes at different levels weave in and out of one another and we ended up in the “dustbin” chamber before passing (unbeknown to us) the right turn off to the main entrance. We then came to a tight squeeze round a big boulder and decided it was time to retrace our steps to the upper entrance, and back down the hill. Here we found the main entrance and we popped in briefly here to confirm we’d got this far and beyond first time around.
With our bearings now obtained, we estimated that we’d traversed just over half of the mine’s length, meaning that a revisit to this lovely mine is very much in order at some point in the future.
3. The Photos
On the way up, we passed this. Looks like the remnants of an old lamp standard when the show cavern was open maybe?
Length of old rail:
Here’s the way in at the upper entrance:
In we go!
And on to the former show cavern viewing platform:
Looking down to the left in the main cavern:
And on the left, the rock of doom!
Then up the stairs to the upper reaches:
Heading up this looks like the top of a winze:
Above this looks like a false floor:
Time to head down to the middle section of the mine:
And down the show cavern steps next:
This multi-level section was my favourite part of the mine with its pretty mineralisation:
There’s an old shaft to the surface here, now blocked:
An old miner’s tub:
Down we keep going:
On to the dustbin chamber:
And beyond:
These deads had been calcified:
Narrow side passage:
Remains of an old washing barrel:
Cute little deads stash:
Down the steps past more deads:
This chamber was pretty epic:
This is as far as we go:
great pics as always 
