Three nice little places not worthy of reports in their own right.
1. Butts Quarry, Ashover
This quarry can be found in the village of Ashover, to the north-east of Matlock.It was operated by the Clay Cross Co for limestone ballast for use in rail and road construction. This was then transported via the Ashover Light Railway which had a spur into the Quarry. The quarry closed officially closed in January 1950. Since then, the large open quarry with a flat, overgrown floor has been the focus of fossil hunters. You can also find several minerals including fluorite, galena and calcite. More recently it has been the home of a motorsport track off-road facility, although its future is now uncertain having been served with an abatement notice for noise.
2. Coal Hill’s Quarry, Middleton
This quarry is situated near National stone centre car park and was formerly owned by Hopton Wood Stone Co when they acquired it in 1877. It was connected to Cromford and High Peak Railway (CHPR) and first shows up on OS mans in 1888. The 1897 Quarries list it is identified as being owned by Hopton Woods under the management of J L Dennis and employing nine people. An obscure decorative limestone known as Bird's Eye Black (or Grey Marble) was quarried here and was able to take a high level of polishing. Production reached a peak circa 1930s, before then declining.
The most photogenic thing here is a number of former quarry hopper wagons:
Former saddle tank from a loco upside down in use as a water tank(?):
A nearby former lime kiln:
Incline rope return wheels in their pit. Former part of the CHPR’s Middleton incline:
Looking down the incline:
And at the top of the incline, the former engine house:
And nearby, the small Redhill quarry:
3. Overton Lead Mine
There isn’t much left of this bijou lead mine, but what is left is quite photogenic. All that remains is the former Lister winder and its small headgear and cage. Beyond that can find very little history about this place.
1. Butts Quarry, Ashover
This quarry can be found in the village of Ashover, to the north-east of Matlock.It was operated by the Clay Cross Co for limestone ballast for use in rail and road construction. This was then transported via the Ashover Light Railway which had a spur into the Quarry. The quarry closed officially closed in January 1950. Since then, the large open quarry with a flat, overgrown floor has been the focus of fossil hunters. You can also find several minerals including fluorite, galena and calcite. More recently it has been the home of a motorsport track off-road facility, although its future is now uncertain having been served with an abatement notice for noise.
2. Coal Hill’s Quarry, Middleton
This quarry is situated near National stone centre car park and was formerly owned by Hopton Wood Stone Co when they acquired it in 1877. It was connected to Cromford and High Peak Railway (CHPR) and first shows up on OS mans in 1888. The 1897 Quarries list it is identified as being owned by Hopton Woods under the management of J L Dennis and employing nine people. An obscure decorative limestone known as Bird's Eye Black (or Grey Marble) was quarried here and was able to take a high level of polishing. Production reached a peak circa 1930s, before then declining.
The most photogenic thing here is a number of former quarry hopper wagons:
Former saddle tank from a loco upside down in use as a water tank(?):
A nearby former lime kiln:
Incline rope return wheels in their pit. Former part of the CHPR’s Middleton incline:
Looking down the incline:
And at the top of the incline, the former engine house:
And nearby, the small Redhill quarry:
3. Overton Lead Mine
There isn’t much left of this bijou lead mine, but what is left is quite photogenic. All that remains is the former Lister winder and its small headgear and cage. Beyond that can find very little history about this place.
