The Alderley Edge Mines
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Derbyshire Caving Club – Special Report 2012 National Association of Mining History Organisations Proceedings of the Annual Conference 2012 Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire 29th June to 1st July 2012 Cover illustrations: West Mine, Alderley Edge in Paul Deakin photographing 1923 in a N Staffs coal mine Joy continuous miner in Pott Shrigley fireclay and Boulby potash mine (PRD) coal mining area Proceedings of the 2012 Annual NAMHO Conference Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 LECTURES 4 3 TRIPS (SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND) 5 3.1 Alderley Edge mines 5 3.2 Alderley Edge surface 6 3.3 Apedale heritage centre and coal mine 6 3.4 Astley Green colliery 7 3.5 Chatterley Whitfield colliery 7 3.6 Ecton copper mine 7 3.7 Goodluck lead mine 7 3.8 Hanging Flat barite mine 8 3.9 Pott Shrigley surface 8 3.10 Poynton surface 8 3.11 Winsford salt mine 8 4 SUMMARIES OF LECTURES 9 4.1 Alderley Edge and related topics 9 4.2 Salt and potash mining 10 4.3 Coal mining in Cheshire and North Staffordshire 11 4.4 Metal mining in Derbyshire and Staffordshire 11 4.5 Other subjects 11 5 PAPERS 13 5.1 Poynton Collieries, a brief history – David Kitching 13 5.2 Mining archaeology of a 19th-20th century lignite deep mine at Kausche, Lower Lusatia – Martin Straßburger 14 5.3 Alderley Edge 1857-1877 – Nigel Dibben 15 5.4 Mining techniques through the ages at Alderley Edge – Pete Johnson 17 5.5 Goodluck Mine, Derbyshire – David Barrie 18 5.6 Geology, Mineralisation and Metal Mining History of the Cheshire Basin – Chris Carlon 19 5.7 The Salt Deposits, Brines and Mines of Mid-Cheshire – Chris Carlon 21 1 INTRODUCTION The 2012 conference was centred on Quarry Bank Mill at Styal, Cheshire. The venue, a cotton mill owned and run by the National Trust, provided lecture space, refreshments and meals and camping space for the weekend. The conference was run by the Derbyshire Caving Club wit considerable help from other clubs and organisations. The speakers are listed in section 2 and trip leaders in section 3. This report contains summaries of the talks but where we have been provided with a longer paper by the speaker, these have been included. The summaries are presented in subject order rather than the sequence in which the lectures were held as there were some topics covered by more than one lecturer. The theme of the conference was developed from the following: ‘Copper, lead, cobalt, salt, coal, fireclay, limestone – Cheshire’s mining history’. However, as speakers came forward, the geographical extent developed to cover north Staffordshire and Stockport while the subject matter included modern mining elsewhere in England and Germany. The intention was to steer away from the ‘traditional’ areas of British metal mining. I am very grateful to all those who helped by offering and giving talks, arranging and running trips, working on reception and providing moral support before and during the conference. For the latter, I am particularly indebted to my wife, Liz Taylor and to Pete Johnson. After the conference, I tried to contact and acknowledge the help from all those involved so I will not repeat those thanks here. Nigel Dibben Nantwich, December 2012 - 3 - Proceedings of the 2012 Annual NAMHO Conference 2 LECTURES The speakers involved were: • John Barnatt • Kevin Dranfield • John Prag • David Barrie • Steve Grudgings • Neil Rowley • Chris Carlon • Peter Johnson • Thomas Seers • Paul Deakin • David Kitching • Martin Straßburger • Nigel Dibben • Steve Mills • Simon Timberlake The programme as presented was as follows: FRIDAY 2100 – 2200 Paul Deakin The Alderley Edge Mines in pictures SATURDAY 0920 – 0930 Ian Thomas (Chairman) Welcome and introduction 0930 – 1020 Chris Carlon Geology, Mineralisation and Metal Mining History of the Cheshire Basin 1040 – 1100 Professor John Prag Introduction to the AELP 1100 – 1150 Simon Timberlake Bronze Age copper mining 1150 – 1240 Nigel Dibben Alderley Edge 1857-1877 1400 – 1450 Martin Straßburger Mining archaeology of a 19th-20th century lignite deep mine at Kausche, Lower Lusatia 1400 – 1450 lower room Kevin Dransfield Underground Stockport 1510– 1600 Pete Johnson Mining techniques illustrated at Alderley over the ages 1600– 1650 John Barnatt Ecton Mines: solving the problems of mining at great depth 1600– 1650 lower room Thomas Seers Use of laser imaging in mine survey work SUNDAY 0900 – 0950 Steve Mills Alderley Edge: the DCC’s exploration 0950 - 1040 David Barrie Goodluck Mine: lead mining and barite into the 20th century 1100 – 1150 David Kitching Poynton coalfield 1150 – 1240 Paul Deakin North Staffs Coalfield 1320 – 1410 Chris Carlon The Salt deposits, Brines and Mines of mid-Cheshire 1430 – 1520 Paul Deakin Winsford Salt Mining 1520 – 1610 Neil Rowley The Boulby Potash Mine 1520– 1610 lower room Steve Grudgings Newcomen’s steam engine: 300th anniversary 1610 – 1630 Nigel Dibben Close of conference - 4 - Proceedings of the 2012 Annual NAMHO Conference 3 TRIPS (SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND) The conference included a programme of mining-related trips from the Friday before through to the following Tuesday. These were organised by the following who were assisted by a number of members of their respective clubs and organisations: • Alderley Edge mines: arranged by Ed Coghlan and Paul Stubbs • Alderley Edge surface: arranged and led by Doug Kidd • Apedale heritage centre and coal mine: arranged by Paul Deakin • Astley Green colliery: made available by Red Rose Steam Society • Chatterly Whitfield colliery: arranged and led by Roy Meldrum • Ecton copper mine: arranged and led by John Barnatt • Goodluck lead mine: arranged and led by David Barrie • Hanging Flat barite mine: arranged and led by Paul Chandler • Poynton and Pott Shrigley surface: arranged and led by David Kitching • Winsford salt mine: arranged by Paul Deakin The trip summaries shown on the conference website are reproduced below with minimal editing. 3.1 Alderley Edge mines Brynlow Mine This trip started with a visit to Brynlow Mine before going down to the Hough Level. Parts of Brynlow date back to Bronze Age and the 18th century. Once in the Hough level a boat was used to ferry the delegates through the flooded section and into Engine Vein. The route ascended from the Hough Level via Blue Shaft with an opportunity to see the colourful blue staining in the shaft. The trip was classed as sporting as Brynlow can be muddy and a bit wet while the trip in the boat can also lead to wet patches on clothing. Cobalt Mine This mine was worked during the Napoleonic Wars when the Cobalt supply from the continent was interrupted and the price made working poorer grades of ore viable. It is small and can be wet (over wellington deep) and muddy; it has low sections that require flat out and hands and knees crawling. Access is down a shaft opposite the café which is fitted with a fixed iron ladder (15 metre) the exit is via a fixed iron ladder in the Museum (12 metre) or through a shaft at the end of the car park behind the Wizard Restaurant, both of which make an interesting through trip. Trips into the Cobalt Mine were self-guided. Engine Vein This trip was guided by members of the Derbyshire Caving Club. The mine is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument as it contains excellent examples of Bronze Age, Roman, Georgian and Victorian mining. It has also been worked for copper, lead and cobalt ores within the Triassic sandstones. The entrance is via an iron door with an incline down to the main vein, followed by a series of steps that descend to the main part of the mine. This trip allowed more time to explore the mine more fully and to descend into the Hough level. Engine Vein SRT The trip was guided by members of the Derbyshire Caving Club. It was only for delegates with their own SRT equipment and the competence to use it. Square Shaft (50 metres) was descended followed by a prusik part way up Bear Pit (25 metres) followed by the final pitch to surface via New Year shaft (10 metres). There were opportunities to visit the workings in Engine Vein between pitches. - 5 - Proceedings of the 2012 Annual NAMHO Conference West Mine This trip was classed as sporting and was guided by members of the Derbyshire Caving Club. There was a combination of fixed iron ladders (max 4m) and SRT. The route included a traverse line along an exposed wall, scrambles, ascents and descents of shafts for which the visitors needed full SRT equipment. The route has open cavernous chambers and interconnecting levels and encompassed the whole of the mine including some passages with knee-deep water in them. Two routes were used, one keeping to the eastern part of the mine and the other taking in the whole mine. Wood Mine This fuller trip of Wood Mine trip was guided by members of the Derbyshire Caving Club. There were opportunities to take photographs and explore the full extent of the mine. This trip included low sections, crawling and some fixed iron ladders (maximum 4 metres). There were variants on some of the above trips including easier routes and routes without SRT kit being required. For more information on all Alderley Mines including the detailed location grid references, visit www.derbyscc.org.uk/alderley. NGR SJ 859.772 3.2 Alderley Edge surface Led by Doug Kidd Alderley Edge has a long and interesting history; as a prominent point in the Cheshire plain it was used by Neolithic man as a vantage point for hunting parties. Bronze Age man then discovered its mineral wealth; Romans, Georgians and Victorians also mined here each leaving an indelible mark on the landscape.