Derbyshire Fluorite queries · AditNow Community

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Imageo
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Here's a couple of photos of an open cut working in Derbyshire in early 1981, working replacement mineralisation in the limestone :

🔗Personal-Album-3478-Image-36182[linkphoto]Personal-Album-3478-Image-36182[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Personal-Album-3478-Image-36181[linkphoto]Personal-Album-3478-Image-36181[/linkphoto][/link]

I vaguely remember it was a Laporte Minerals operation and we visited it the same day as Sallet Hole, not far away probably but the memory is hazy after 28 years. Any Derbyshire experts out there prepared to hazard a guess what the name of the mine was ? Cheers !

I'm a Geo

'There's a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness.'

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AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

It could be any one of the openworks on Longstone edge, they've been going at various bits of the Deep rake-Bow rake-Watersaw rake complex for many years now. In the absence of any obvious landmarks I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to where exactly this was, anyone else have an idea?

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

Boy Engineer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

My money would be on Masson Hill, but could well be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. They had a D10 there, so the kit looks right.

Imageo
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Thanks AR, thanks Boy Engineer,

Yes, Masson Hill it would be for sure, as soon as I saw the name the lights came on ! I've also checked the map and can remember this wasn't very far from a fairly large town which must have been Matlock, from memory we were up on a hill above the town.

I'll upload them to Masson Hill - can always take them down if I'm proven wrong down the track.

Thanks again, guys.

I'm a Geo

'There's a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness.'

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Looking at them again, I'm inclined to agree that they are the Masson Hill opencast - the bit behind the digger at the far end does look like the "back door" of Masson Cavern emerging, though of course it's now a lot deeper and has taken out the former connection between Crichman and Gentlewoman's.

I was up there only last week, there'a fresh rockfall on the left hand side just above some rock climbing bolts - good job no-one was climbing when that came down!

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I note that at least two members of the party are apparently wearing texolex helmets, with liner strings trailing down their backs

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

ttxela
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

It's certainly a much more pleasant spot now!

although I think this is looking the other way....

ditzy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

think it is called knowles open cast started in 1948 and closed in mid 80s
saw rockfal last nite with climers on the rout under wher it fell out of still looks very loose
the book about it is very good

http://ditzycaving.blogspot.com
my underground blog

minerat
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

did they wear ear defenders in the 80s, looks a bit like the early bow rake to me, will ask the geologist , see what he thinks, nice foto for archives though.

be afraid.....very afraid !!!!

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#10

ear defenders in the 80s? Certainly, I wore helmet mounted ones in the early 70s, in those days they were often mounted to screws drilled through the helmet - which wouldn't be allowed now 😮

if you see any of John Watton's photos, or the other photo collections from that period, you will see they were in general use by then. Sometimes you see full brim hard hats with cut-outs in the brim to clear the mounting arms.

I would guess that they were introduced as part of the general changeover from cardboard helmets and carbide lamps in the early 1960s.

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.