Derbyshire lead mines · AditNow Community

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Alasdair Roberts
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

8 years ago

Hi all.
I am staying near Matlock for a long weekend soon and was wondering if there are any mines I could visit while I'm there. I am not experienced in srt yet so I'm really looking for somewhere without any difficulties. I'd really like to see some hand picked levels, if there's anything nearby. Also,
is it possible to get into Shining sough from near the shaft on the Youlgrave road? I was there about 7 or 8 years ago and remember there being a large crack in the rock and a low crawl, but I didn't push it too far.
Any thoughts would be gratefully received.
Cheers.

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zomjon1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

Simple answer, plenty. Obvious choices would include: Masson, Wapping and Cumberland, Devonshire, Jug Hole, Old Ash, the mines of the Via Gellia (Ball Eye, Groaning Tor, Silver Eye, Slaley Sough, Dunsley Spring, Spinney Level, Old Gells, etc). I think though, the first three I have listed, would be a good starting point and all very close to Matlock.

zomjon1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

Masson offers some good hand picked coffin level but the best example would be to access Youd's level at Artist Corner in Matlock, key from the mining museum or alternative keys!

Praada
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

Definitely do Masson and Jug Holes, they use the same parking so you can do one have a break then cross the road and do the other 🙂 via gellia as said many mines to explore, ball eye is quite extensive and silvereye if you have a rope although you don't strictly need it if its dry and you are confident in free climbing 12ft or so plenty of footholds. There are full walkthrough videos on youtube of masson, jugs and silvereye 🙂

"I got enough batteries to live down here indefinitely!"

ttxela
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

You could easily spend all day in Masson if you are the type that likes to look around and examine rather than march through at top speed......;D

Praada
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

haha definitely we camped at the top of the quarry and spent the whole night in masson and ended up sleeping from like 9am til 4pm on the sunday after haha!

"I got enough batteries to live down here indefinitely!"

Alasdair Roberts
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

8 years ago

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be pretty tied up during the days so really I'm just looking for somewhere to pass a few hours in the evenings. Masson and Jug Holes certainly sounds a good option. I'll check out the youtube videos.

Praada
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

I will be visiting both this week or weekend, jug holes is a good through trip, best to have a hand line to get down the first hole then free climb the rest to the bottom (looks sketchy but really isn't that bad. Then exit out the corregated tube tunnel at the bottom 🙂 one of my favorites in the area, if the stream is running at the top on the way to jugs then its probably better to leave it alone, although we haven't had too much rain recently so will be fine at the moment :)

Masson is great too lots to see and explore, everything from climbs crawls and abseils to coffin levels and flooded chambers. Lots of minerals to see too!

"I got enough batteries to live down here indefinitely!"

Paul Marvin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

Wapping is also a nice trip

"I Dont Know Where I am Going, But When I Get There I will Know Where I am"

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

#10

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/great-masson-Lead-Mine/Masson-main.pdf

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

Alasdair Roberts
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

8 years ago

#11

Thanks AR.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

#12

You can do a circular trip in Masson, there are two ways in. I may be able to come out and show you around, drop me a PM.

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

Praada
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

#13

2 ways in from the quarry or is one the abseil for the through route to artists corner?

I've only ever gone in via the quarry face and always found each route once inside to come to a dead end (from the dale shaft room) Left to the flooded water room, down the middle to the blue pipe and show cavern gate, to the right to the crawls down the mineral tunnel?

Always go back the way we came... been trying to find a way to the far side of the mine for some time now and not found the way through yet 😞

"I got enough batteries to live down here indefinitely!"

zomjon1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

#14

I think AR is talking about a crawly entrance along the right hand side of the quarry which joins up with the way you are using to access the mine. In the same way, you get into King's Mine along that wall, definitely worth a visit as well.

Alasdair Roberts
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

8 years ago

#15

Cheers AR. Pm sent.

Praada
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

8 years ago

#16

i think i may have started exiting that way once but turned around when i saw the crawl going as far as my light would shine haha! Does it drop down into a coffin level that drops out just before you walk down into the dale shaft chamber?

"I got enough batteries to live down here indefinitely!"