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)