Danibanez
  • Danibanez
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5 years ago
Been down this a few times. just curious to know if anyone has any history on the place, including when it was mined and when it was abandoned etc..

In my opinion, one of the best trips in the Peak District!

Thanks in advance!
AR
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5 years ago
The best general book is "Castleton Mines" by Jim Rieuwerts and Phil Wolstenholme - just checked Moore Books and it doesn't look like Mike has any in stock but you may still be able to get one direct from Phil - I'm sure he'll see this thread and respond.

https://pdmhs.co.uk/MiningHistory/Bulletin%2013-3%20-%20The%20Connection%20of%20James%20Hall 's%20Over%20Engine%20Mine%20to%20Peak%20and%20Speedwell%20Caverns.pdf
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!
Danibanez
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5 years ago
Very helpful thank you, and an awesome read!
Moorebooks
5 years ago
"AR" wrote:

The best general book is "Castleton Mines" by Jim Rieuwerts and Phil Wolstenholme - just checked Moore Books and it doesn't look like Mike has any in stock but you may still be able to get one direct from Phil - I'm sure he'll see this thread and respond.

https://pdmhs.co.uk/MiningHistory/Bulletin%2013-3%20-%20The%20Connection%20of%20James%20Hall 's%20Over%20Engine%20Mine%20to%20Peak%20and%20Speedwell%20Caverns.pdf



Sorry I sold out sometime back -maybe Phil has some left?

Mike
pwhole
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5 years ago
Yep - I still got a few copies left, but probably less than five! You can order one here if you want one:

https://www.pwhole.com/castleton.htm 

I may also be able to dig out some other historical scraps on the mine, but I doubt there'll be much. The TSG (well, me and a few others) did some digging and exploration down there comparatively recently (2013-15, until other projects got in the way) on the west side of the entrance shaft, and apart from permanently draining the flooded cartgate section there, we climbed almost back up to the surface within the stopes, and then dropped back down again to the cartgate beyond the blockage. Sadly this only went for about 30m west until we hit another collapse. But that was something like 70m laterally from the shaft, and very close to a very large crater on the surface.

All of this (and a bit more on New Rake shaft explorations and a LOT more on the nearby Pit Props Passage series in Speedwell) is documented in TSG 19, which is also available here:

https://www.tsgcaving.co.uk/content/tsg-19 

What? :smartass:
sinker
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5 years ago
"pwhole" wrote:



….here:

https://www.tsgcaving.co.uk/content/tsg-19 

What? :smartass:




:offtopic: but....



Oh....wow....! Some of my fave all time 90's CD covers there and I never made the connection! Nice one; respect is due!

808 State and The Orb.... :thumbsup:


Yma O Hyd....
pwhole
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5 years ago
I've done my bit. Thanks ;D

You wouldn't believe how many enquiries I've had recently about recreating my 'old-skool' 3D style for current projects or ads (even offering money in some instances). I keep trying to tell them that it wasn't actually old-skool then - very much new-skool. It just looks old-skool compared to now, as the software available only did what it it did in 1992. Things have moved on. But it seems they're still popular, which is nice to know. All those long nights weren't wasted. Actually, many of them were wasted, but that's another story 😉
pwhole
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5 years ago
All this talk of JH reminded me to get some photos up - of the dig and a few of the Backburner Choke, as that's not been covered before:

https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Album/Photographs-Of-James-Hall-Over-Engine_4322/ 

Danibanez
  • Danibanez
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5 years ago
I’ll be buying them! Fantastic place and a great way to get into speedwell! Makes a great little workout getting back out too! 🙂

When Boris says yes, anyone up for a trip?
pwhole
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5 years ago
We always figured that we hadn't traversed the full extent of the workings westwards - the mine was eight meers long, with one to the east of the founder, I think, so we should have had at least one more meer remaining westwards, which would be about right. The blockage in the western cartgate would have been a reasonably straightforward job, where it not for the torturous (and somewhat harrowing) route to get to it - and take all the necessary materials etc. Hence the need to try and get through at the 'Ledge' dig, as it would have meant bypassing all the vertical stuff and dropping straight in. But that sadly was a no-go too, at least for now. The short level heading east from halfway down Butch Pitch may have been the best approach, but other things got in the way, and haven't yet got out of the way.

I doubt I'll have time for JH when the restrictions are lifted as we've got some far more pressing issues to resolve not too far away, but I'm sure there will be plenty who will.

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