Mines and minerals in Derbyshire (UK): 2018

Tearsall Farm Quarry

I visited Tearsall Farm Quarry on the 28th October, 2017. The quarry has been recently worked as an open cast operation for the extraction of Fluorspar. As on my previous visit to Blakemere Pit, I parked in upper Winster and cycled the 3 miles or so to the quarry. Bonsall lane is a narrow lane with not much opportunity for safe parking. There is space to park at the opening of Blakelow lane but, as I mentioned in my Blakemere Pit entry, the lane is frequently used by off road motorbikes so your car could be vulnerable to being hit my stones from the un-surfaced road.

I revisited the site the following winter but did not enter the quarry itself, just settling for some photographs from the circular footpath around the quarry.

Background

As far as I have been able to ascertain Tearsall Farm Quarry has been working on and off since the 1970s. I believe it has only been used for the extraction of Fluorspar although other minerals such as galena also occur.

Originally operated by Slinter Mining Co Ltd of Cromford the quarry rapidly expanded through the 1980s and 1990s resulting in campaigns to halt quarrying activity by local groups concerned about the damage to the environment and the number of lorries on the local roads.

Extensions were refused by the Peak District National Park Authority in 1998 and again in 2004. Slinter forced a public enquiry but this resulted in another refusal despite the national interest in supplying Fluorspar. The site is partially restored during 2006 and 2007.

2008 sees Glebe Mines apply to extend and extract 600,000 tonnes of Fluorspar to the west of the previous site over a period of six years and this eventually is given permission in 2009, on the basis that Glebe Mines agree not to mine along the Longstone Edge and increase the amount of Fluorspar being extracted from their existing mine near Great Hucklow.

Legal issues delay the resumption of quarrying and Glebe Mines becomes British Fluorspar and extraction begins again in 2013.

All extracted Fluorspar was transported by lorry to Cavendish Mill near Stoney Middleton for processing

At the time of my visits extraction had ceased but the site had not yet been restored. The permission only allowed for the extraction of Fluorspar with the limestone being retained on site for use in the restoration.

From what I can see now the site has been fully restored with just remnants of the old quarry walls still visible in places.

Mineralogy

A number of minerals have been reported as being found including Fluorspar, Calcite, Baryte, Galena, Marcasite, Pyrite, Cerussite, Quartz.and minerals from the Chlorite group.

Minerals found

Galena, Malachite, Flourspar, Barytes

Some useful references

British Fluorspar site

Friends of the peak campaign (A good description of the history of the quarry and objections to it)

Peak District National Park decision on Tearsall from 2009

Matlock Mercury article on quarry issues

QUARRY ENTRANCE AND PLANT EQUIPMENT

THE SITE INCLUDES A LOT OF CLAY MAKING WALKING DIFFICULT AT TIMES

A TEASEL GROWING IN THE QUARRY, THEY THRIVE ON CLAY SOILS

FOSSILISED CORAL - WEATHERED OUT OF THE LIMESTONE

A PIECE I COLLECTED

THE MAIN QUARRY

QUARRY FACE

LARGE CALCITE CRYSTAL IN CAVITY OF LARGE BOULDER

APPROACH ROAD FROM WINSTER

OLD LEAD MINING SPOIL HEAPS ON THE ROADSIDE

VIEW OF THE ROADWAY INTO THE MAIN QUARRY, FROM ABOVE

VIEW OF THE MAIN QUARRY, FROM ABOVE

A LARGE SPECIMEN OF GALENA AND BARYTE

MALACHITE ON CALCITE

A MASSIVE FORM OF PURPLE FLUORSPAR

A NICE EXAMPLE OF FLUORSPAR AND BARYTE

IRON STAINED FLUORSPAR CRYSTALS AND BARYTE ROSETTES

CLOSE UP OF THE BARYTES

IMAGE TAKEN OF SURFACE USING A DIGITAL MICROSCOPE

DARK COATING ON FLUORSPAR - POSSIBLY A HYDROCARBON

UNKNOWN DENDRITIC CRYSTAL IN FLUORSPAR

Old Millclose Mine

The 27th August 2017 found me visiting Old Millclose Mine in South Darley. The remains of the old engine house, Watt's shaft and old spoil heaps can be found set in beautiful countryside and next to a popular footpath with easy access.

There is ample parking on the side of Oldfield lane as you approach H.J. Enthoven & Sons factory as the road is very wide. Access to the footpath leading to the mine is only about 10 minutes walk from here. Alternatively, there is parking for a couple of cars at the entrance to the public footpath if you take the left hand turn before reaching the factory into Clough Lane (confusingly still named Oldfield Lane on Google maps). As it's popular with walkers though, it's hit and miss as to whether there are any spaces left.

Background

I don't know how far back mining at Old Millclose Mine goes but it was certainly worked commercially through the 16th and 17th centuries.

Watt's shaft was re-opened and used from 1859 to pump water from the mine until the 1870s when the engine was moved to the New Millclose Mine. There are old shafts to the south and west of Watt's shaft too with the original Millclose Grove mine (as it appeared to be called) located to the north of the old Red Lion pub in Wensley (now closed).

The new mine became famous for being one of the most productive Lead mines in the UK but little is now left as evidence. It closed in 1939 following an accidental flood and is no longer accessible to the general public. It was located north east of Watt's shaft on the land now owned by H.J. Enthoven & Sons who still run the lead smelter on the original site. Large spoil heaps from this mine can be seen opposite the factory but have been extensively reworked to extract Fluorspar. The whole area is contaminated with Lead and unsuitable for grazing. The current owners have planted trees on large areas of the contaminated land.

It survived longer than most making it into the 20th Century and apparently produced about half a million tonnes of ore in its time. In the 1930's it employed around 600 people. The mine is extensive and the upper (non flooded) levels are still explorable by permission.

Mineralogy

The mine produced lead (Galena) and zinc (Zinc Blende) with Fluorspar, Calcite and Baryte as the main gangue minerals. The Galena apparently contained virtually no silver and the Zinc Blende about 1% Cadmium. Other minerals occur in small quantities including the rare Cadmium based minerals Greenockite and Hawleyite along with Smithsonite, Hydrozincite, Cerussite and Hemimorphite.

Minerals found

All examples are from the spoil heaps just down from Watt's shaft. I briefly explored one high up in Cambridge Wood to the south, but obtained no specimens from there.

The spoil heaps are small and have been well picked over the years however I managed to find several examples of different coloured Fluorspar, Calcite, Zinc Blende, Barytes and, very luckily, some Greenockite and possibly Hawleyite.

Some useful references

Mindat: Details of minerals previously found here

Historic England's listing for the Engine House

The Lead mines of Stanton-In-Peak (Interesting paragraph at the end on Millclose Mine)

Some historical info on Millclose Grove Mine

Picture of miners at Millclose plus more recollections

3D reconstruction of the Millclose mine workings

The Peak District Mines Historical Society is another source of information via there Mining History publications, several of which have featured Millclose Mine..

There are quite a number of books that have been published on Millclose Mine, being one of the most notable Lead mines in the UK, of which copies are still available ... at least on the second hand market or via various research institutions as is the case of the first one listed below.

These include:

The geology and development of Mill Close Mine, Derbyshire by James G. Traill (published in 1939)
Millclose, the mine that drowned by Willies, Gregory & Parker.
Millclose, The Last Great Derbyshire Leadmine by Jim Rieuwerts
Old Millclose Mine, Wensley by Trevor D Ford

REWORKED SPOIL HEAPS OPPOSITE THE H.J. ENTHOVEN FACTORY

ENTRANCE TO THE FOOTPATH LEADING TO THE OLD MILLCLOSE MINE

VIEW OF THE SPOIL HEAPS AS YOU APPROACH THEM

LOOKING BACK AT THEM

ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THE OLD ENGINE HOUSE

WATT'S SHAFT CAPPED BY CONCRETE AND A GRILL

FRIENDLY CRICKET AT THE EDGE OF THE SPOIL HEAP

ATTRACTIVE POND IN CAMBRIDGE WOOD

CLEAR FLUORSPAR WITH CHALCOPYRYTE INCLUSIONS
(Taken with a digital microscope)

LARGE FLUORSPAR CUBES WITH SECONDARY FLUORSPAR ENCRUSTING

ATTRACTIVE LIGHT PURPLE FLUORSPAR

CALCITE

MICRO ZINC BLENDE CRYSTALS (Taken with a digital microscope)

GREENOCKITE ON FRESHLY CLEAVED FACE

POSSIBLE HAWLEYITE DUSTING ON FLUORSPAR
(Taken with a digital microscope)

THIS LOOKS LIKE OTHER EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN ONLINE FROM THIS SITE BUT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SAY FOR CERTAIN

ANOTHER VIEW (Taken using the LX5)

Blakemere Pit

I visited Blakemere Pit, a former Fluorspar quarry, on the 9th September 2017. The quarry is remotely located with no vehicular access.

Access is via either Blakelow Lane from Bonsall Lane or Blakemere Lane from Bonsallmoor Lane. Either of these routes involves a walk along a heavily rutted track with the possibility of meeting off road motorbike riders which often use these lanes. Parking is possible at the entrance to Blakemere Lane but you do so at your own risk as stones may get thrown up by passing motorbikes. I actually cycled from the top of Winster village on this occasion.

The site is gated and consists of an overgrown access track which takes you down to the quarry itself and bends round and continues up to the higher ground to the north. The main pit (quarry) is now pretty much overgrown with nature having reclaimed it.

Background

I was unable to find any real information on the history of this Fluorspar working other than it appears to have been worked up to the late 1980s.

It's presently privately owned and under a restoration order to have the land restored to it's original agricultural usage buy infilling. This work has not been carried out to date but is overdue and subject to some dispute. It seems a shame to me as it provides an interesting alternative habitat for wildlife to the hundreds of acres of flat moorland surrounding it.

Mineralogy

I could find little information regarding the mineralogy other than it being a former Fluorspar quarry and some references to Malachite having been found here.

Minerals Found

The most common mineral found was, not surprisingly, Fluorspar. It appears to occur in three colours depending on the height within the limestone strata. A deep dark purple variety occurs in the upper reaches of the quarry, with clear examples beneath and finally a Citrine coloured variety towards the bottom of the pit.

There are some good examples of clear Fluorspar lining some of the quarried faces and on some of the fallen boulders.

I also found Calcite, Galena, Pyromorphite, possible Smithsonite, Micro crystals of Sphalerite (Zinc Blende), a pale blue Hydrozincite and what looks like Copper Pyrite as inclusions in Fluorspar crystals.