Site record MDR6770 - Glebe Mine, Glebe Park, Eyam
Type and Period (4)
- WINDING GEAR (Victorian - 1849 AD? to 1888 AD? (approximately))
- MINE SHAFT (Victorian - 1849 AD? to 1888 AD? (approximately))
- LEAD MINE (Medieval to Victorian - 1066 AD? to 1888 AD (between))
- FLUORSPAR MINE (Second World War to Late 20th Century - 1945 AD to 1970 AD? (approximately))
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Steel headstock and pulley wheel. Now disused (except for air) shaft on Glebe mine. (1)
While the main surface interest at Glebe Mine is ecological, on large 20th century buddle dams/waste heaps, below there is a fine grilled 19th century engine shaft, down through shale to 20th century and earlier workings, and extensive concrete platforms at the site of the large 20th century dressing plant. (2)
All significant archaeological and ecological surface interest is now in the process of being destroyed. The shaft is to be retained, allowing potential access to the underground interest. (3)
Modern maps show this site has been heavily developed, the southern section has a new housing development and the northern section has been flattened for use as a football pitch. (4)
The site of a lead mine, the origins of which may date back to the middle ages. The earliest records date back to the C16th, and C17th plans of the workings were used by early C20th prospectors. In 1849 Eyam Mining Co. took over the workings and in 1855 they struck a rich vein of ore. The mine began to decline in the late C19th, due to reduced tariffs on imported lead, the exhaustion of major veins, damage and rising extraction costs. In 1888 Eyam Mining Co ceased opperations. Glebe Mine in shown on the 1st ed. OS 25' map of 1878, but only the shaft at the south end of the site is labelled. The OS map of 1899 labels the site as 'disused'. At the start of the C20th there was increased demand for fluorpar and barytes, which had previously been regarded as a waste. Fluorspar was used in steel production, while barytes in many processes including glass and ceramics manufacture and in the chemical industry. In the early C20th these were extracted from the tips on the mining site. In 1936-7 the chemical company James Wilkinson Ltd & sons reopened the workings and opened a new drift. In 1945 they located a rich vein of high-grade fluorspar and Glebe Mines Ltd. Took over the site. In the 1940s and 1950s Glebe Mines improved the methods of purifying fluorspar. However, the new techniques meant the processes had to be centralised, as a result processing moved to Cheshire and the Glebe Mine site was closed. (5)
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR16890 Index: Willies, L. 1982. Peak Park Treasures C134. C134.
- <2> SDR19821 Bibliographic reference: Barnatt, J. 2004. An Inventory of Regionally & Nationally Important Lead Mining Sites in the Peak District. Vol. 2: Corpus of Sites. p 52, site no. 35.
- <3> SDR21540 Bibliographic reference: Barnatt, J. 2005. Updated Inventory of Regionally & Nationally Important Lead Mining Sites in the Peak District.. p 3, Site no. 35.
- <4> SDR20894 *Internet Web Site: Google Maps. http://maps.google.com/. site accessed 16/07/2013.
- <5> SDR24473 Unpublished document: Coates, G (Birmingham University Field Unit). 2003. Former Glebe Mine, Townend, Eyam, Derbyshire: an Archaeological Trial Trench, 2003.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 2189 7651 (189m by 297m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | EYAM, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR4935
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 4 2020 11:58AM