Monument record MDR8423 - Tearsall Pasture lead mines, Wensley, South Daley

Tearsall Mine: Old, well-documented pipe works in steeply dipping limestone beds. Situated in Tearsall Pasture, north of Tearsall Farm. Much pick-work is evident, with dressing floors underground. There are impressive deads, with some blocks over 5 cwt. (1) Entrances at SK 263600 and 266602. At least 2 separate systems, one is entered from the site of opencast fluorspar workings, the other via shafts further north. The shaft series contains a stream and cave formations. Opencast workings threaten the permanent loss of these sites, especially at SK 263500. In 1979, it was considered necessary to control opencast workings in order to safeguard access. Care was also needed to prevent the sealing of shafts into the lower series at SK 266602 (2). Tearsall is also the site of SMR 1633, a water engine. Further information, Bull. PDHMS, Woollley M/SS Sheffield City Library, London Lord Co. Docs. (2) The site is of regional recreational importance to cavers, including cave divers in the case of the shaft series.Also of importance to oral mining historians in the case of both the shaft and opencast series (2). Photographic record. (3) Four fields were visited 27.6.1997 ahead of mineral exploration, centred at SK 2607 2520. Hillocks were located in woodland (OS 0009), some large hillocks in OS 0019, fewer hillocks in OS 0914 to the east, while OS 0037 to the north has been hillocked in the past. Aerial photograph evidence suggests this was in the 1960's (see paper record for plan and detail) (4). Waterings Close and Shakersdale Mines have surviving hillocks on several close parallel veins, with several capped shafts, including two with beehive caps, at least one ruined coe, two or possibly three stone-lined buddles, one or possibly two buddle dams, a barrow-run or raised launder, the foundations of a reckoning house, and the footings of what may have beena ventilation fire house (the only known surviving example in the orefield). Davis and Mount Pleasant Mines, and Basrobin Sough consists of hillocks along numerous small pipe and vein workings, many still relatively intact within the area defined. There are many capped shafts, opencuts (some from 19th century reworking), a small hillock-top gin circle with visible slots for the gin engine supports, two barrow runs or raised launders, stone lined leats or trunk buddles, and buddle dams (some very large and including two fine banked sets. One long leat links a shaft to buddle dams. The site as a whole has extensive surface evidence for the relative age of mining, medieval strip lynchets/ridge and furrow and Romano-British settlements. [See also Mount Pleasant Mine and Basrobin Sough SMR 12711] (6) A shaft gives access to the upper workings of Old Millclose Mine, where there is important evidence for the character of working, a fine buddle, and miner's artefacts and inscriptions. (7)