1. The History
Just west of Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, Hanging Flat mine is a small mine, initially worked for lead and then later on for fluorspar. It sits 100 feet above Watergrove sough, and for many years the mine appears to have been un-named before being given its current moniker.
In late 1800s, Samuel Needham and his brother lived close by in Hanging Flat House and worked the mine for lead. The ore was mined on incline and then raised by winch and kimble into the adit which could take half-tonne tubs. However, in the 1950s and early 60s the mine was worked for fluorspar before closing. In 1967 J.Garlick proposed re-opening the mine and it subsequently worked throughout the 70s, apparently with little success in economic terms. In the 1980s, ex-Laporte man Roger Ridgeway then look over the mine and worked it with slightly more success, until it finally closed later in the decade, circa 1987.
Old map of Hanging Flat mine dating from 1950. Note the left-hand fork isn't shown on the survey, as the map pre-dates these later 70s/80s fluorspar workings:
More recently, around 1992, the entrance section was used for filming a "cave rescue" scene for TV Soap Peak Practice (starring Kevin Whately and Amanda Burton) in an episode aptly titled “'Light at the End of the Tunnel”. More info HERE. They left behind a number of big polystyrene 'boulders' throughout the mine.
In terms of the mine itself, it runs northwards for 300 feet until it meets the east-west Needham Rake vein and splits into two branches. The right passage or eastern branch leads to the New Gates shaft, which most likely predates Hanging Flat mine. The internal shaft has timbers around it and is set on an area of false floor of steel sheet on girders. If you look down the shaft, you can see the lower level workings of the mine, 10m below.
Archive picture from June 1980 (© Adrian Foster). It is labelled as Tessadale Ltd, Hanging Flat Fluorspar Mine. Apparently, at the time the company was about 25 years old and employed five workmen. The mine adit was located at the rear of the hut where the line ran into the hillside.
The newer left passage has 6 cross-cut slits heading off to the right. These were driven into the vein from the parallel drive and all come to a dead end at a back-fill. Here the vein was drilled and blasted nearly to surface then the fluorspar was loaded out of the slits.
The mine retains the iron pipework that was used to take compressed air to the rock drills. Brown plastic pipes also run through the mine, possibly as part of the ventilation system, while the smaller-diameter flexible pipes were most likely for water for dust suppression.
2. The Explore
Previously visited the mine last year. One of my mates wanted to see it so given it’s a cracking, photogenic little mine and access is relatively easy, it was a no-brainer to go back for a revisit. Last time the mine was pretty dry but this time it was damper and muddier. Nothing major mind. Not much has changed, though along the right-hand branch, just near the heavily propped junction, where the hatch to the lower-level workings are, there appears to have been a fresh collapse.
Anyhow, a great revisit to a great little mine.
3. The Pictures
Tight squeeze:
And we’re in!
And on to the two-way junction. Note polystyrene boulders in the middle:
Down the left passage first:
And on we go:
Hope those support beams aren’t too rotten!
High-Tec pipe supporter:
Mineral deposits:
One of the six cross-cut slits and an old compressor:
A second cross-cut slit:
And another:
Old motor-oil tin:
More pipage:
Not too sure what this is:
End of the newer left-hand passage:
And back out again:
That solitary tipper, minus wheels:
And a milk churn:
Some old pipework:
And a rusty ladder:
Looking a bit shady here:
Hatch down to the lower-level workings:
And back out again:
Just west of Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, Hanging Flat mine is a small mine, initially worked for lead and then later on for fluorspar. It sits 100 feet above Watergrove sough, and for many years the mine appears to have been un-named before being given its current moniker.
In late 1800s, Samuel Needham and his brother lived close by in Hanging Flat House and worked the mine for lead. The ore was mined on incline and then raised by winch and kimble into the adit which could take half-tonne tubs. However, in the 1950s and early 60s the mine was worked for fluorspar before closing. In 1967 J.Garlick proposed re-opening the mine and it subsequently worked throughout the 70s, apparently with little success in economic terms. In the 1980s, ex-Laporte man Roger Ridgeway then look over the mine and worked it with slightly more success, until it finally closed later in the decade, circa 1987.
Old map of Hanging Flat mine dating from 1950. Note the left-hand fork isn't shown on the survey, as the map pre-dates these later 70s/80s fluorspar workings:
More recently, around 1992, the entrance section was used for filming a "cave rescue" scene for TV Soap Peak Practice (starring Kevin Whately and Amanda Burton) in an episode aptly titled “'Light at the End of the Tunnel”. More info HERE. They left behind a number of big polystyrene 'boulders' throughout the mine.
In terms of the mine itself, it runs northwards for 300 feet until it meets the east-west Needham Rake vein and splits into two branches. The right passage or eastern branch leads to the New Gates shaft, which most likely predates Hanging Flat mine. The internal shaft has timbers around it and is set on an area of false floor of steel sheet on girders. If you look down the shaft, you can see the lower level workings of the mine, 10m below.
Archive picture from June 1980 (© Adrian Foster). It is labelled as Tessadale Ltd, Hanging Flat Fluorspar Mine. Apparently, at the time the company was about 25 years old and employed five workmen. The mine adit was located at the rear of the hut where the line ran into the hillside.
The newer left passage has 6 cross-cut slits heading off to the right. These were driven into the vein from the parallel drive and all come to a dead end at a back-fill. Here the vein was drilled and blasted nearly to surface then the fluorspar was loaded out of the slits.
The mine retains the iron pipework that was used to take compressed air to the rock drills. Brown plastic pipes also run through the mine, possibly as part of the ventilation system, while the smaller-diameter flexible pipes were most likely for water for dust suppression.
2. The Explore
Previously visited the mine last year. One of my mates wanted to see it so given it’s a cracking, photogenic little mine and access is relatively easy, it was a no-brainer to go back for a revisit. Last time the mine was pretty dry but this time it was damper and muddier. Nothing major mind. Not much has changed, though along the right-hand branch, just near the heavily propped junction, where the hatch to the lower-level workings are, there appears to have been a fresh collapse.
Anyhow, a great revisit to a great little mine.
3. The Pictures
Tight squeeze:
And we’re in!
And on to the two-way junction. Note polystyrene boulders in the middle:
Down the left passage first:
And on we go:
Hope those support beams aren’t too rotten!
High-Tec pipe supporter:
Mineral deposits:
One of the six cross-cut slits and an old compressor:
A second cross-cut slit:
And another:
Old motor-oil tin:
More pipage:
Not too sure what this is:
End of the newer left-hand passage:
And back out again:
That solitary tipper, minus wheels:
And a milk churn:
Some old pipework:
And a rusty ladder:
Looking a bit shady here:
Hatch down to the lower-level workings:
And back out again:
Last edited:
. Nice report and great pictures.
:
