Report - Watersaw Mine - Stoney Middleton - November 23

[Shadow]

Jesus I didn't expect to be posting a report on here again, but after 10+ years out of the game it seems like the bug is back. This was a lovely jaunt with RJ and a couple of others as a proverbial leg stretch and see if I'm still capable of actually climbing anything (surprise surprise, I'm not...), hopefully now I've got a bit more free time this will be the first of many new reports.

ANYWAY, onwards! The history of this place has been posted a whole bunch of times but for anyone who hasn't seen it before I'm going to shamelessly copy the history from @HughieD's excellent report from back in 2021.

Longstone Edge is located approximately some 4km to the north of Bakewell, within the north-eastern area of the White Peak and to the west of the Derwent Valley. Here can be found Watersaw Mine or Sallet Hole adit no.2 as it is also known. It was opened in 1965 and was originally owned by Laporte Minerals who worked it for fluorspar barytes lead. In 1987 after persistent tunnelling, it linked up with the lower Sallet Hole Mine. Watersaw then took over as the main haulage route after Sallet Hole closed. It consisted of an east and west ramp. The shorter east ramp was worked until around 2009. The longer west ramp which was linked to Sallet Hole no.1 adit was worked until the mine closed in December 2010.

The site was cleared, and the mine put on a ‘care and maintenance’ programme by the current owners, British Fluorite Limited, due to consented ore reserves still remaining and a desire by BFL to maintain the option of re-commencing fluorspar operations underground, subject to commercial viability and availability of alternative sources of supply. It was estimated that if workings were to resume, Watersaw could produce between 300 – 600 tonnes of fluorspar ore per day. Despite this, the mine has not re-opened and has suffered three managed surface collapses above where the fluorspar vein has been worked.

I don't have loads in the way of photos, as mentioned this was only a brief visit to test the water and hopefully will be able to get back again for a more extensive foray at some point in the future.

I did also shoot a roll of 35mm down here because apparently I'm extra now 😅 so will upload those once I've got the negatives back and scanned them. Honestly it was a great feeling to be underground again and I look forward to seeing all the new faces and hopefully some of the old timers.

Cheers!
Shadz

 

[Ojay]

Great pics, good to see you posting stuff, It's been ages, same with RJ, hope yer both keeping well.

 

[Shadow]

Great pics, good to see you posting stuff, It's been ages, same with RJ, hope yer both keeping well.

Thanks man! Great to be back, both good and looking forward to cracking some more interesting bits

 

[jezzyboo]

Welcome back some fine pics there

 

[HughieD]

Great set of pictures mate...

 

[Calamity Jane]

Welcome back. Nice set. Hope to see more

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Nice! Good to see you back again.