On April 1st 1812 Castle Pit in Ripley Derbyshire was opened by the Dines family becoming known as Dines Castle Pit locally, originally it was worked to the Ripley Top Hard Coal and Black Rake Ironstone and was drained by a sough. As pumping technology improved the mine was worked ever deeper to the "Weel" seams and eventually at depth to the seam know locally as the "Kolci" seam. 2 Steam winders where employed and a Hathorn Davey Horizontal pumping engine to pump at depth. The headgears were of timber construction lasting until 1949 when it closed about the same time as the nearby Ripley Colliery, both areas continued to be worked at depth by Denby Hall.
The remains today are the part blocked entrance to the early sough and a horse level associated with the earlier Ironstone workings. The base of the Hathorn Davey Engine house has survived along with a flue from an earlier possible Newcomen engine house. Sadly until 25 years ago a horse gin survived, fortunately this was photographed! Alot of the tramway serving the line can be traced as it runs down to join the Cromford Canal, Stone blocks were recently discovered indicating this was a plateway as built to the Outram type.
The site can be visited today by getting off the newly extended Midland Railway trust line back into Ripley Station and a short walk across town.
There will be an organised walk around the site on the 1st of April 2012. Details can be found on link...
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