Monument record MDR1844 - Watergrove Lead Mine and associated buildings, Watergrove, Foolow

SK 188 759: WATER GROVE, COTTAGES. Cottages built in the 1830's to house the engineers and agent working in the adjacent watergrove mine. (4) Remains of Watergrove Lead Mine, including the main shaft with two others covered by large limestone "beehive" cairns, and a dam (pond) constructed for steam engines. The buildings, now used as barns, once belonged to the mine. Mine agent's cottage and mine engineer's cottage. (5) This area is part of the high priority lead mining site of Watergrove Mine. This mining region is comprised of hillocks, a mine office and smithy, a semi-detached overseer's house and manager's house (still occupied). Across the road are the probable foundations of a Newcomen pumping engine house. To the east are shafts caps which have been restored and beyond, to the north-east, are further hillocks and shafts. (7) Lead mining area identified as of regional/national importance which comprises a beehive cap covering an engine shaft, a climbing shaft, a sub-rectangular platform, a conical hillock and other hillocks, a gully, the mine office, a pumping engine house, a chimney erected in 1837, the mine smithy, the Forefield Shaft, possible gin circles, shafts, a mine engine reservoir, an occupied building, a range of outbuildings and enclosures. (8) The construction of a smithy and a pumping engine house was started in 1794. Water was to be brought part way up the shaft, to run it into Watergrove Sough. The Newcomen engine, pumps and pump pipes were made by Booth and Co of Brightside Iron Foundry, Sheffield, who received payment in 1795. There are frequent accounts for the repair of the engine, which was in regular use until 1820 and again briefly between 1834 and 1835. It was offered for sale in 1836 but failed to sell and presumably went for scrap when the mine closed in 1853. Excavations on the site began in 2010, with the aim of finding out more about the design of the Newcomen house, particularly with regard to the location of the boiler house. Removal of the structures in the 19th century was found to have been very thorough, so hindering interpretation to some extent. The engine house proved to be smaller than expected, while a small rectangular pit set into bedrock to the north-east of the engine house was interpreted as an ash pit under a now-removed boiler. However, other features suggested that this was not the original site of the boiler but was either a replacement or additional boiler, possibly provided in either 1803 or 1819 when nearly £250 and c. £200-350 respectively were paid to Booth and Co. (9) Coursed limestone outbuilding of c.1830, a reservoir and several shafts covered in cairns of stone. Most remains of lead mining in the area have been destroyed during modern open cast mining. (10)