Monument record MDR8789 - Maury Rake, Priestcliffe Lees, Taddington
Type and Period (5)
- LEAD MINE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- MINE SHAFT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- SPOIL HEAP (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- DRAINAGE LEVEL (Tudor to Georgian - 1540 AD to 1775 AD)
- COE (Tudor to Georgian - 1540 AD to 1743 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Complex of mine workings. To the west the features include spaced shafts which date from the 17th century or earlier, extensive but partly reworked hillocks, low banks and platforms. To the north-west are two to three small scrins, shaft mounds and veins. To the north-east there is an open stope and associated hillocks. Maury Mine is shown on a plan of 1767. Somewhere on the hillside was the entrance to the Mawrey (sic) Sough , which was a high level sough first recorded in 1653. This sough was replaced by the Maury Sough in pre 1767. Most of the ore had been removed previously and it was abandoned in 1775. (1, 2).
Mining may well have been taking place in the Maury mines in the medieval period, and was certainly underway in the vicinity by the end of the 16th century. The earliest documentary references are from the mid 17th century, at which time there was also a sough. Sometime shortly after 1694 a second sough was started which, in 1711, was said to have 'in great measure loosened the water troubling the said veins'. Although output from the mines was poor, sough driving again commenced in about 1763/64. This probably reached the main mine complex in early 1774, although apparently the vein was found to be 'much plundered'. A succession of people obtained the Maury title during the first half of the 19th century although little is known about exactly what work was done. The Moorhigh Level was driven in 1868, and work may at this time have concentrated on removal of low grade ores from underground. Surface remains along the rake include hillocks, some of which have been reworked, a belland yard, a shallow but wide open-cut into the vein, and a buddle dam. Towards the eastern end of the rake is Moorhigh New Level and dressing floors, a fine example of a small 19th century mine complex, although the level has now run in. A tramway in a short-walled cutting ran from its entrance to the dressing floor and downslope tip. There is also a ruined coe, traces of a curving belland yard wall, and at least two buddle-dams. Closer to the river, water issues from the collapsed Maury Sough tail, with a walled channel to the river and the ruins of an adjacent coe. (3)
South-west of the site of Maury Mine [see SMR 13532] are capped shafts and ruined coes, some within a belland yard. On the hilltop to the north-east is an unusual hillock-reprocessing site of probably 19th century date with large waste heaps, buddle dam and a possible buddling trough. On the slope down to the River Wye there are ore-dressing pits, opencuts, a water storage and/or ore-dressing pond and a belland yard. Near the base of the slope is a fine site comprising a run-in haulage level with associated tramway bed, large hillocks, dressing floor, a ruined coe, buddle dams and a ruined belland yard wall. A shaft at the base of the riverside cliff gives access to Maury Sough which runs up the vein through several stopes with fine packs of deads. At the sough tail below there is a ruined coe. (4).
Maury Mine and associated lead mining features were scheduled in March 2013. For details, see the scheduled monument description. (5)
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR4843 Bibliographic reference: Rieuwerts, J. 1987. History and gazetteer of the lead mine soughs of Derbyshire.
- <2> SDR19711 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). 1993. Priestcliffe Lees Nature Reserve, Priestcliffe, Taddington, Derbyshire, archaeological survey, 1993. No.2, pp 1-2.
- <3> SDR21362 Article in serial: Barnatt, J and Heathcote, C. 2003. 'The Maury and Burfoot Mines, Taddington and Brushfield, Derbyshire', Mining History: The Bulletin of the Peak District Mines Historical Society. Volume 15, No. 3, pp 45-50.
- <4> SDR19821 Bibliographic reference: Barnatt, J. 2004. An Inventory of Regionally & Nationally Important Lead Mining Sites in the Peak District. Vol. 2: Corpus of Sites. No.52, pp 77-78.
- <5> SDR21481 Scheduling record: English Heritage. 2013. Scheduling notification: Maury Mine and Sough. List entry no. 1412310.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1490 7302 (907m by 423m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | TADDINGTON, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR3993
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jun 22 2015 9:26AM