Muse Mine, Calver. · AditNow Community

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Dickie Bird
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

15 years ago

Just revisited the surface remains of Muse Mine, at the eastern end of Deep Rake, Calver,Derbys., which has an overgrown gin race and quite large shaft covered with a grille (makes a change from concrete railway sleepers!). I recall reading somewhere - many moons ago - that this mine was the site of a suicide (think it must have been in some aged local press cutting) where a local man was found hanging in this shaft. Have done a Google, but, not surprisingly, there is nothing to be found. Anyone know of this or is my senile grey matter playing tricks?

'Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again' [Henri Cartier Bresson][i]

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AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Not something I'd ever heard of in connection with Muse mine, but I understand Op Mole descended the shaft many years ago so maybe Sougher will know something else about the site. Suicide or not, I reckon it's one of the best gin circles in the Peak orefield....

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

Dickie Bird
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

15 years ago

Thanks for that. I shall continue to investigate - for my own peace of mind - and if I come across the reference I will post the result. Yes, the gin race is a good 🙂 'un!

'Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again' [Henri Cartier Bresson][i]

Brakeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Does the shaft lead to any workings, or was it found to be blocked??

The management thanks you for your co operation.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

That I don't know offhand - I believe Doug Nash went down it, this may have been as part of the extensive exploration Op Mole did up there for Glebe. As it's right by Red Rake which has been sparred out it may be blocked at depth, but having said that, there are shafts right by Moss Rake that survived sparring.

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

Earpl
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Sorry to drag up an old post. Laportes capped the mine for us about 15 years ago, as we were the land owners at the time ;)

Chris.

calverlad
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Regarding the suicide at Muse Mine, Calver.
I know something about this.
I grew up in Calver in the 1980's. One of my best mates there was a farmers son. His dad farmed some of the land up on Calver Peak and he killed himself in that shaft.
The farmhouse / yard in the village centre has now ceased to exist, the house being converted to a poshed up place !
My dad was the local policeman there at the time and he discovered the body and pulled it up.
Hung himself using a rope tied to the back of his tractor and jumped down the shaft.
I remember this happening when I was maybe 15 years old - ie about 25 years ago.
All very sad at the time, and still is I suppose for the family etc.

On a different note, does anyone know where I can see a map with the names, info, history, etc about the many old mines in the calver area ?

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

"calverlad" wrote:

On a different note, does anyone know where I can see a map with the names, info, history, etc about the many old mines in the calver area ?

I don't know or remember seeing anything specific to the Calver area, there may be something in the PDMHS Bulletin, but I've had a quick glance through what I've got and didn't see anything. Although someone on here may put me right.

There is a section on the Calver/Stoney Middleton Area in "Lead Mining in Derbyshire: History, Development & Drainage Volume 1" but my copy is on lend somewhere but there is a map and some descriptions about what is in the village itself.

You can see where some of the mines where (and what remains) on this website
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/map/
Select sheet SK and you can zoom and move the map, you might want to select mineral types Lead, Fluorite, Calcite, Mixed. Otherwise you'll end up with a map for SK with all the coal mines on and it will be a bit busy.

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I've scanned the map, put it in my personal album and will apologise to Jim for doing so next time I speak to him, I'll take it down again in a couple of weeks time so view now while it lasts... The book it's taken from is out of print but there's a copy in the local studies library at Matlock and possibly in the library at Bakewell too in the local history section. There is a superb map in the Record Office at Matlock drawn up by John Wheatcroft c.1840 showing all the veins of Longstone Edge , which is about 7 foot by 5 foot!

🔗Personal-Album-431-Image-82818[linkphoto]Personal-Album-431-Image-82818[/linkphoto][/link]

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

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

That 7ft x 5ft map (seen larger ones) - Is that the one with numbers alongside the veins? If so is there a key to the numbers?

If the book is out of print I had better find out whom has got my copy of it.

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#11

Yes it is but unfortunately the key to the numbers isn't with it. I had hoped the numbers might be in the barmaster's records much as they were for Wheatcroft's Hubberdale plan but sadly not. It may still be kicking around somewhere, but it's not in any collection I know of.

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

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#12

Shame about that.
Have you got a copy of the numbers key for the Hubberdale plan?

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks

exspelio
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#13

I remember, back in the '80's, we (TSG) got a contract from Laportes to retrieve a Flygt submersible pump from the shaft marked on Red Rake just upstream from its junction with Northcliffe Sough. The pump was originally installed to supply the washing plant at Back Dale but the big pumps on sub-3or4 at Sallet Hole had de-watered the shaft making the smaller one redundant.
IIRC we managed to wangle a 5ft airleg drill out of them in payment for this job.
The level off the shaft was collapsed downstream and had pinched in making it too tight upstream.
With the pumps now off in Sallet, I suspect the shaft will be flooded again.

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#14

If you mean the tin shed shaft, it's hard to tell what the water level is as there's scrap blocking it near the bottom. It should however drain out into Brightside Sough and looking at the depth of the blockage, I think it must still be at least partially flowing out that way.

Lee - I think I do have the Hubberdale transcript in electronic format, or failing that I can scan a paper copy.

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

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#15

Excellent - I've got a copy of the map but at the moment it's in 2 halves. I'll see about putting the halves together and doing my usual thing, and putting the names to the numbers

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#16

Just uploaded it, though if you come across numbers that aren't there or have already been used they will probably relate to the missing Hard Rake map. There were originally a set of four maps, Hubberdale, Chapeldale, Knotlow, and Hard Rake but Hubberdale is the only one which seems to have survived, apparently bought by the Bacons from "a person in Sheffield" in the 1930s.

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

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#17

Cheers, although now means some more work to do

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks