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Report - - Ball Eye Quarry, Cromford, Derbyshire, July 2021 | Mines and Quarries | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Ball Eye Quarry, Cromford, Derbyshire, July 2021

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HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
1. The History
Not a massive amount of info out there on Ball Eye Quarry. Also referred to as Balleye, it is located close to the Via Gellia Mills car park, south-west of Matlock Bath, between the Derbyshire villages of Bonsall and Cromford.

It was an active limestone quarry owned and operated by Deepwood Mining Co Ltd. It worked a mineral vein for fluorspar and baryte along with a galena-bearing mineral vein. The area is known for producing specimens of dark blue fluorite, baryte, anglesite, cerussite, malachite and smithsonite. The area has also seen extensive mining for the aforementioned minerals and the workings of Ball Eye Mine sit below Ball Eye Quarry. A number of small veins and replacement flats at the mine were worked for lead, but these workings were intersected by the limestone quarry above during the 1970-80s.

There’s no information on when the quarry closed but it appears to have been in operation up to 2014. Meanwhile Deep Wood Mining Company are still registered at Companies house head-quartered at Water Lane, Cromford.

2. The Explore
Had a look around slopes of Via Gellia Road for some silver mines to no avail so in the end thought we’d have a shufty at this old quarry. It’s an easy in and looks like it has been left for a number of years. There isn’t an awful amount there in terms of buildings and all of the plant has been moved out. That said, there’s enough to keep you occupied for an hour so and it makes for a relaxed mooch.

3. The Pictures

Soooo many signs!

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Not too sure what this is:

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OK. "We're here!"

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Small stone-built building:

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Not too much inside. Some sort of utilities supply:

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Forget a spray-paint graff knob. All hail the stone sculpture knob!

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Om to the site office;

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Weigh-bridge display:

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And then on to the container round the corner:

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Bits and bobs box!

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And back out to the quarry:

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Some of the quarry’s former produce that's been left behind:

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That’s all folks:

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Last edited:

dave

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Enjoyed this i always love a disused quarry we have quite a few up here in Durham Northumberland etc. Your right usually very relaxed explores.
 

HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Enjoyed this i always love a disused quarry we have quite a few up here in Durham Northumberland etc. Your right usually very relaxed explores.
And great for fossil/mineral hunting too!
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Looks a good explore. Lots to see there. Great coverage and photos. I hope you were wearing the expected PPE lol
 

Jl.urbex

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Got this one pin pointed on maps in my list. Be there soon lol.

Nice pictures, looks like a nice day out
 

Potifer

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Top stuff! Have you done Masson Lees quarry before? Not very big, but you can pop into Masson Mine at the back - two birds with one stone ;).
 

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