I've had this on my to do list for 30 years and only just been over today which is pathetic considering it's local to me lol.
I've put together various bits from various sites on the net.
History,
The earliest recorded workings at Magpie Mine in the Peak District date from 1740, and the mine was only one of several such ventures working different lead veins in the same area. Right from the start, the miners had difficulty in keeping the workings free from water, but by 1824, a Newcomen type pumping engine had been erected on the Main Shaft. This led to the production of 800 tons of lead in 1827 – a record that remained unbroken until 1871.
For years, Magpie Mine was troubled by disputes with the neighbouring mines over who had the right to work each vein. Miners from Magpie Mine and Maypitt Mine were both working the Great Redsoil Vein, and would light fires underground to smoke each other out. The arguments raged for years, both underground and in the courts. In 1833, three Maypitt miners were suffocated by fumes from fires lit by Magpie miners, and 24 Magpie miners were put on trial for their murder. Several were freed immediately, and eventually all were acquitted because of the difficulty in identifying the individual culprits – as well as the provocative actions of the Maypitt miners themselves. It is said that the wives of the “murdered” men put a curse on the mine, and the effect of the disputes was to ruin the mine, which closed in 1835.
In 1839, John taylor, the famous Cornish mining engineer was brought in to re-open the Magpie Mine, which now incorporated the Great Redsoil workings. He introduced a number of innovations, including steel borers, safety hats, safety fuse, and iron winding ropes. He also introduced a more regular pattern of shift working and payment for his workers, some of whom had come up from Cornwall with him. He deepened the Main Shaft to 208 metres, and also installed a 40-inch Cornish pumping engine. When this proved inadequate, he proposed to replace it with a 70-inch engine, but the proprietors could not agree. Some felt that a sough (a drainage tunnel) would be a better solution, and appeals to the Duke of Devonshire to adjudicate fell on deaf ears. Various attempts were made over the next 30 years, but it was not until 1873 that construction of the sough started. It took eight years to drive from the River Wye near Ashford-in-the-Water to meet the Main Shaft, a distance of 2km. It was the last major sough driven in the Derbyshire orefield, and still discharges 4 – 6 million gallons of water per day.
The site,
Every era of working has left its mark on the Magpie Mine site. There are numerous mineshafts– all now blocked, or capped for safety – so there is no longer access to any of the underground workings. The most impressive features are the ruined cornish engine house which dates from 1869, and the adjacent circular chimney (built in 1840 to serve an earlier engine, but then re-used).
A similar thing happened to the square chimney, which was originally built in 1840 to serve a winding engine, of which all trace has now disappeared. When the horizontal winding engine (easily identified by the winding drum on the outside of the engine house) was installed later in 1869, a flue was built to connect the existing chimney to it. The Square Chimney and flue had suffered from their exposure to the weather and were in urgent need of repair, so were renovated in 2016 with the help of a substantial grant from the national lottery.
Just in front of the Cornish Engine House is the 728ft deep Main Shaft, marked by the steel headgear and cage dating from the mine’s last phase of operation in the 1950s. On a bright day it is possible to look through the grille on the Main Shaft and see the water 528ft below (the shaft is flooded for a further 150ft). The mine is drained by a sough (drainage tunnel) which emerges over a mile away on the south side of the River Wye (at Grid Ref SK180698) about 1½ miles west of Ashford-in-the-Water, just upriver from the Bobbin Mill and its bridge over the River Wye. It still discharges about 4-6 million gallons of water a day. The corrugated iron shed housed the winder and has the distinction of being one of only three corrugated iron buildings in the country to be accorded scheduled monument status.
Horse gins were used to wind the lead ore to the surface
North of the Cornish Engine House is the circular powder house (1840), whilst to the east a replica horse gin has been erected on the retail engine shaft. Another gin circle can also be seen at the western extremity of the site, serving the original shuttlebark engine shaft (1760).
The agents house and adjacent smithy were built in the 1840’s. They have been renovated, and are now used as the Field Centre of the peak district historical mines society.
The explore,
After getting some more tile adhesive from b&q to finish the bathroom off I thought I would carry on the couple of miles to have a mooch about.
A nice sunny day but with a slight chill in the air made for a very relaxed enjoyable afternoon made better by meeting a guy flying his multirotors, we chatted for a couple of hours during which he told me about his recent trip to chynoble. Told him about the forum so hope he drops by.
Not a lot to see here underground, it's all well sealed off but the above ground artefacts are enough to make it worthwhile if you're in the area.
There are a few older reports on here but all seem to be black and white photos so as these things don't change much this is more of a colour update lol.
It may not look like it but I tried harder on these pics, I had sun issues but although nothing amazing I don't they are terrible.
I've put together various bits from various sites on the net.
History,
The earliest recorded workings at Magpie Mine in the Peak District date from 1740, and the mine was only one of several such ventures working different lead veins in the same area. Right from the start, the miners had difficulty in keeping the workings free from water, but by 1824, a Newcomen type pumping engine had been erected on the Main Shaft. This led to the production of 800 tons of lead in 1827 – a record that remained unbroken until 1871.
For years, Magpie Mine was troubled by disputes with the neighbouring mines over who had the right to work each vein. Miners from Magpie Mine and Maypitt Mine were both working the Great Redsoil Vein, and would light fires underground to smoke each other out. The arguments raged for years, both underground and in the courts. In 1833, three Maypitt miners were suffocated by fumes from fires lit by Magpie miners, and 24 Magpie miners were put on trial for their murder. Several were freed immediately, and eventually all were acquitted because of the difficulty in identifying the individual culprits – as well as the provocative actions of the Maypitt miners themselves. It is said that the wives of the “murdered” men put a curse on the mine, and the effect of the disputes was to ruin the mine, which closed in 1835.
In 1839, John taylor, the famous Cornish mining engineer was brought in to re-open the Magpie Mine, which now incorporated the Great Redsoil workings. He introduced a number of innovations, including steel borers, safety hats, safety fuse, and iron winding ropes. He also introduced a more regular pattern of shift working and payment for his workers, some of whom had come up from Cornwall with him. He deepened the Main Shaft to 208 metres, and also installed a 40-inch Cornish pumping engine. When this proved inadequate, he proposed to replace it with a 70-inch engine, but the proprietors could not agree. Some felt that a sough (a drainage tunnel) would be a better solution, and appeals to the Duke of Devonshire to adjudicate fell on deaf ears. Various attempts were made over the next 30 years, but it was not until 1873 that construction of the sough started. It took eight years to drive from the River Wye near Ashford-in-the-Water to meet the Main Shaft, a distance of 2km. It was the last major sough driven in the Derbyshire orefield, and still discharges 4 – 6 million gallons of water per day.
The site,
Every era of working has left its mark on the Magpie Mine site. There are numerous mineshafts– all now blocked, or capped for safety – so there is no longer access to any of the underground workings. The most impressive features are the ruined cornish engine house which dates from 1869, and the adjacent circular chimney (built in 1840 to serve an earlier engine, but then re-used).
A similar thing happened to the square chimney, which was originally built in 1840 to serve a winding engine, of which all trace has now disappeared. When the horizontal winding engine (easily identified by the winding drum on the outside of the engine house) was installed later in 1869, a flue was built to connect the existing chimney to it. The Square Chimney and flue had suffered from their exposure to the weather and were in urgent need of repair, so were renovated in 2016 with the help of a substantial grant from the national lottery.
Just in front of the Cornish Engine House is the 728ft deep Main Shaft, marked by the steel headgear and cage dating from the mine’s last phase of operation in the 1950s. On a bright day it is possible to look through the grille on the Main Shaft and see the water 528ft below (the shaft is flooded for a further 150ft). The mine is drained by a sough (drainage tunnel) which emerges over a mile away on the south side of the River Wye (at Grid Ref SK180698) about 1½ miles west of Ashford-in-the-Water, just upriver from the Bobbin Mill and its bridge over the River Wye. It still discharges about 4-6 million gallons of water a day. The corrugated iron shed housed the winder and has the distinction of being one of only three corrugated iron buildings in the country to be accorded scheduled monument status.
Horse gins were used to wind the lead ore to the surface
North of the Cornish Engine House is the circular powder house (1840), whilst to the east a replica horse gin has been erected on the retail engine shaft. Another gin circle can also be seen at the western extremity of the site, serving the original shuttlebark engine shaft (1760).
The agents house and adjacent smithy were built in the 1840’s. They have been renovated, and are now used as the Field Centre of the peak district historical mines society.
The explore,
After getting some more tile adhesive from b&q to finish the bathroom off I thought I would carry on the couple of miles to have a mooch about.
A nice sunny day but with a slight chill in the air made for a very relaxed enjoyable afternoon made better by meeting a guy flying his multirotors, we chatted for a couple of hours during which he told me about his recent trip to chynoble. Told him about the forum so hope he drops by.
Not a lot to see here underground, it's all well sealed off but the above ground artefacts are enough to make it worthwhile if you're in the area.
There are a few older reports on here but all seem to be black and white photos so as these things don't change much this is more of a colour update lol.
It may not look like it but I tried harder on these pics, I had sun issues but although nothing amazing I don't they are terrible.
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