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Report - - Wapping Mine/Cumberland Show Cavern, Matlock, Derbyshire, November 2021 | Mines and Quarries | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Wapping Mine/Cumberland Show Cavern, Matlock, Derbyshire, November 2021

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HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
1. The History
Located on the valley above Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, Wapping Mine is an old shaft and adit working on the Moletrap Rake. It is a typical rake and pipe-vein working. It is believed that the mine was being worked as early as 1750's, most likely for the extraction of galena. Typical of a lot of mines in Derbyshire, the mine was reworked for fluorspar from 1924 onwards where the main areas of working where on the Moletrap Vein and the “Maze” which located at the north-west extremities of the mine. The main level of the mine relatively large and includes four larger stope workings.

Map of the Wapping/Cumberland Cave complex:

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© Roger Flindall

The mine is also characterised by a number of lower-level workings known as “The Maze”. This confusing warren of passages and pockets did not actually yield a large amount of fluorspar and after 1936 not much more activity took place in the mine until 1953 when Frank Barton of Banks and Barton took over the mine and worked it relatively intensively for approximately 3 years.

Map of “The Maze” section of Wapping mine:

51686426691_51eced828a_b.jpg

© Roger Flindall

Around this time an opencast section was also started at the adit, which advanced westwards along the rake. This collapse in 1954 bringing the front end of the mine down along with some of the higher-level workings. The Incline Level, located to the south-west from the main adit was also driven around this period in an attempt to cross the vein from the Main Stope working, but this proved unsuccessful.

In the north-west extremities of Wapping mine, Cumberland Cavern can be accessed. Its original name was Cumberland Mine and is an old working most likely developed at the same time as Wapping Mine. It is above the Wapping workings by approximately 12m and has two connections with it. Firstly, via the Funnel Cave at the end of the Forth Stope in Wapping and secondary via the Devils Pit, which leads into the Maze. Unlike Wapping mine, a lot of the workings in Cumberland Cavern appear to have broken into natural chambers, reinforced by lack of shot holes. The mine looks to have initially been worked before it was then opened in 1780 as a show cave. Famously, Queen Victoria visited the show cave, and it changed its name to the Royal Cumberland Cavern. The show cave closed around the late 1960's and early 1970's and a gang call the "Troggs" occupied the show cave, resulting in large amounts of graffiti in some of its chambers. Since they vacated the cave, it has been left abandoned and its only visitors have been the odd caver and explorer.

Map detail of the show cave:

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© Roger Flindall
Show cave circa 1955:

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Advert for the show cave:

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2. The Explore
With a morning free, myself and @Bikin Glynn decided to meet up in Derbyshire to do some exploring. Big up to @Jl.urbex for the intel. I’d had this place on my radar for a while, so asked him if he was up for it and he said he was. We met up in the nearby hotel’s carpark. It was then a short trek up the hillside on a well-marked footpath to the entrance. It was a bit of a squeeze to get initially. The route up through Wapping mine is interesting and a bit of a scramble initially. We ended up in the maze for a bit but found our way out again and up and round onto the main track onto the show cave. Definitely a game of two halves. The mine was rugged and rocky. The show cave was very different, and it was almost weird seeing the stone steps and iron handrails after the mine. Definitely a unique place and want to come back here again.

3. The Pictures

Quick external shot:

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And we’re in. Greeted by collapses:

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Lovely mineralisation:

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The main part of the mine is really fascinating:

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Across different levels:

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Stacked-up deads:

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It’s a pretty rugged track:

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A crushed old wheelbarrow?

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Lonely is the roof prop:

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Stope with the miner’s support props:

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And other old mining artifacts:

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Don’t kick the bucket by mistake:

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More incredible mineralisation:

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Onward and up-wards:

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Wandered into the Maze by mistake:

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Looking for a way up from the Maze:

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Last edited:

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
CONTINUED:

Crossing over into Cumberland Show cave:

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You soon come to the graff left by the Troggs:

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And we’re at the show cave now:

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Up we go:

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The round and down:

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Loved this little cavern:

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Shame about the graff though:

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The wishing well:

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And yet more fine mineralisation:

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Down and beyond

The true source of englands wealth is coal
Regular User
Well done mate :thumb How did you 2 get on ? all went well by the looks of it ! I no glyn can be a bit head strong and try to lead you into dangerous situations he does with me anyway
 

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Well done mate :thumb How did you 2 get on ? all went well by the looks of it ! I no glyn can be a bit head strong and try to lead you into dangerous situations he does with me anyway

He was excellent company and even leant me his spare torch when my batteries in my main torch packed up.
 

Down and beyond

The true source of englands wealth is coal
Regular User
He was excellent company and even leant me his spare torch when my batteries in my main torch packed up.
What a absolute gentleman I hope he told you all
About the trip I took him on caving ! He did well
I even moved him up to the rank of amateur now.
 

Mikeymutt

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Really nice underground set again mate. I really need to get that way and do some more mines. Maybe me and my mate can meet up with you again one day
 

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Really nice underground set again mate. I really need to get that way and do some more mines. Maybe me and my mate can meet up with you again one day

Deffo up for that mate. Keen to go back here too as there's loads more to see...
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Beautiful stuff again. Being greeted by a collapse looks scary. But Im always amazed at the beauty in these mines. Its a different world down there. I bet the show cave has great acoustics :thumb
 

jezzyboo

28DL Regular User
Regular User
brilliant pics as per standard loved that show cave bit , a few years back went in the mining museum at Matlock and booked on for the guided tour of the fluorspar mine across the road wondered if this links up with that ?
 

mingerocket

28DL Regular User
Regular User
I stayed in the hotel next to this place earlier in the year. I had quick poke around the entrance but quickly gave up. No equipment and a fear of getting lost in a cave/mine with just a mobile phone light and I thought better of it. I contemplated going back but it gives me the fear.
Cracking photos
 

Bipolar Explores

28DL Member
28DL Member
Love this! Went to Matlock yesterday with a few of my exploring friends and couldn’t find the entrance for the life of us but on the way back we saw 2 entrances but was already too dark and we needed waders because the water was deep.

I’m still new to all of this as well and want to find more places to explore
 

themalcybarkid

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
The graffiti is one of the main draws in this cave. Not a lot of stuff remains from the trogs. Also the Hells Angels stuff. I've heard the legend of them using the cave as somewhere to party, but not sure if it is true.
But yeah, need more of this historic graffiti! It's fascinating and rare.
 

Bikin Glynn

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Love this! Went to Matlock yesterday with a few of my exploring friends and couldn’t find the entrance for the life of us but on the way back we saw 2 entrances but was already too dark and we needed waders because the water was deep.

I’m still new to all of this as well and want to find more places to explore

if you are interested in underground stuff its really best to go with someone of knowledge & with the correct equipment.
joining local caving clubs & forums is a good way to start.
 

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