1. The History
Groaning Tor Level, also known as Hallicar Lead mine is located in Slinter Wood on the southern slopes of Via Gellia, Derbyshire, in the Parish of Middleton by Wirksworth. Mining in this area goes right back to September 1639 when one Thomas Booth obtained 4 loads and 3 dishes of ore from a mine in Halikar wood. There's not a great deal of history on the Web about the mine but the current workings are most likely to date back to the 1800's.
Entrance to the mine is via a 5-feet high by 2-feet wide aperture at the foot of a small dolomite cliff at drainage level. On a toadstone bed the adit is driven through limestone and two beds of basalt and dolomite. Also clearly visible is the mineral vein in the roof, along with the shot holes made to create it. Driven for some 300 metres, it follows some unproductive scrins and may have been a trial of the area in depth or to intersect the Goodluck veins or to test the veins below the Matlock Lower Lava. Much of the level has been hand-picked, and towards the end of the adit it has a good "coffin level" shape.
Map of the mine:
It’s also possible to identify two lead working platforms on the wooded hillside, most likely used for sorting and crushing the ore close to mining site and the remains of an old coe to the east.
2. The Explore
Easy enough entrance to this lovely little lead mine, once you have found it. This one surpassed expectation to be honest. Initially dry, it soon became muddy and in places the water means you need to be wearing wellies. About 14m in there is a collapse which is now passable with a bit of a squeeze, thanks to Cyril Maddocks who dug it out in the late 1950s. There has been no stoping off the main adit which might point to the veins being really unproductive or the level was driven as a trial at depth.
The adit reaches a photogenic clay arch before driving onwards. After intermittent sections of mud and water there’s a sharp left and almost immediately a sharp right as the drive continues. After a while we decided to turn back due to time, but scope for going further in and certainly one for a revisit in the future.
3. The Pictures
Here’s the entrance:
We’re soon into water:
And mineral formations:
And mud:
One of the rockier sections:
A dead end off to the side:
We then arrive at the mud arch:
A small chamber and arch:
On we go….
Then we get onto coffin level:
And back out again:
Groaning Tor Level, also known as Hallicar Lead mine is located in Slinter Wood on the southern slopes of Via Gellia, Derbyshire, in the Parish of Middleton by Wirksworth. Mining in this area goes right back to September 1639 when one Thomas Booth obtained 4 loads and 3 dishes of ore from a mine in Halikar wood. There's not a great deal of history on the Web about the mine but the current workings are most likely to date back to the 1800's.
Entrance to the mine is via a 5-feet high by 2-feet wide aperture at the foot of a small dolomite cliff at drainage level. On a toadstone bed the adit is driven through limestone and two beds of basalt and dolomite. Also clearly visible is the mineral vein in the roof, along with the shot holes made to create it. Driven for some 300 metres, it follows some unproductive scrins and may have been a trial of the area in depth or to intersect the Goodluck veins or to test the veins below the Matlock Lower Lava. Much of the level has been hand-picked, and towards the end of the adit it has a good "coffin level" shape.
Map of the mine:
It’s also possible to identify two lead working platforms on the wooded hillside, most likely used for sorting and crushing the ore close to mining site and the remains of an old coe to the east.
2. The Explore
Easy enough entrance to this lovely little lead mine, once you have found it. This one surpassed expectation to be honest. Initially dry, it soon became muddy and in places the water means you need to be wearing wellies. About 14m in there is a collapse which is now passable with a bit of a squeeze, thanks to Cyril Maddocks who dug it out in the late 1950s. There has been no stoping off the main adit which might point to the veins being really unproductive or the level was driven as a trial at depth.
The adit reaches a photogenic clay arch before driving onwards. After intermittent sections of mud and water there’s a sharp left and almost immediately a sharp right as the drive continues. After a while we decided to turn back due to time, but scope for going further in and certainly one for a revisit in the future.
3. The Pictures
Here’s the entrance:
We’re soon into water:
And mineral formations:
And mud:
One of the rockier sections:
A dead end off to the side:
We then arrive at the mud arch:
A small chamber and arch:
On we go….
Then we get onto coffin level:
And back out again:
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