1. The History
Situated on the slopes of Eyam Dale, Merlin Mine is one of the more extensive former lead workings in the area. At its main entrance level, it crosses two “scrins” (small veins), namely Stubbs and Sycamore. As can be seen from the map below, workings carry on for some distance. The level intersects natural passages and miners exploited small veins for lead ore. The mine also includes several cross-cuts, small stopes and an internal shaft at Stubbs scrin, that gives access to Carlsworth waterfall system. Apparently in the 1793, the mine is listed as being a show cave.
2. The Explore
Second and third visits here in the space of a week. Last time we visited it was in conjunction with Nickergrove lead mine and we were a little jaded and pushed for time, hence the need for a revisit. The mine is a 5-minute hike up the valleyside from the busy Stoney-Eyam road. After the steep walk through trees along the old miner’s track, it’s relatively easy to locate the mine's small adit entrance. The mine has a real cave feel to it and its interconnections with the Carlsworth cave system make it popular with cavers. It is pretty tight and doesn’t open up, bar a few tight steep stopes and a handful of small chambers. It was hard going as it's mucky, very rocky and wet in places too. It’s pretty difficult to take pictures of due to it being narrow and the floor being uneven. This time we explored pretty much all of the mine that’s possible without doing SRT, including a crosscut off to the left after entering the mine. It opened up into a lovely little natural chamber and was well worth the extra scramble.
3. The Pictures
On the way up you pass the 60m deep Carlswark Cavern/Eyam Dale Shaft:
It’s a long way down:
On to the main adit:
Once in, it’s rocky:
And wet in places:
Some stacked-up deads along the main adit:
At the T junction, on the left the passage soon ends in this rising chamber:
So it’s back and to the right:
After we go up and over some rocks we get to this collapsed passage that looks like it went to a lower level:
Then it’s the whinze that takes you down into the Carlswark cave system:
So it’s an about turn then a scramble up to the right to join the main drive again:
Pushing on down the main drive, its wet, muddy and narrow:
It’s worth it as there’s some pretty formations:
Nice flowstone:
And these lovely cave pearls:
Onwards we push:
At the end of this adit, it turns abruptly to the right then immediately into the whinze of doom that disappears into the abyss. Time to turn around:
Back out and down one of the cross-cuts. After 10 or so metres it pops out of the adit into a natural chamber:
Situated on the slopes of Eyam Dale, Merlin Mine is one of the more extensive former lead workings in the area. At its main entrance level, it crosses two “scrins” (small veins), namely Stubbs and Sycamore. As can be seen from the map below, workings carry on for some distance. The level intersects natural passages and miners exploited small veins for lead ore. The mine also includes several cross-cuts, small stopes and an internal shaft at Stubbs scrin, that gives access to Carlsworth waterfall system. Apparently in the 1793, the mine is listed as being a show cave.
2. The Explore
Second and third visits here in the space of a week. Last time we visited it was in conjunction with Nickergrove lead mine and we were a little jaded and pushed for time, hence the need for a revisit. The mine is a 5-minute hike up the valleyside from the busy Stoney-Eyam road. After the steep walk through trees along the old miner’s track, it’s relatively easy to locate the mine's small adit entrance. The mine has a real cave feel to it and its interconnections with the Carlsworth cave system make it popular with cavers. It is pretty tight and doesn’t open up, bar a few tight steep stopes and a handful of small chambers. It was hard going as it's mucky, very rocky and wet in places too. It’s pretty difficult to take pictures of due to it being narrow and the floor being uneven. This time we explored pretty much all of the mine that’s possible without doing SRT, including a crosscut off to the left after entering the mine. It opened up into a lovely little natural chamber and was well worth the extra scramble.
3. The Pictures
On the way up you pass the 60m deep Carlswark Cavern/Eyam Dale Shaft:
It’s a long way down:
On to the main adit:
Once in, it’s rocky:
And wet in places:
Some stacked-up deads along the main adit:
At the T junction, on the left the passage soon ends in this rising chamber:
So it’s back and to the right:
After we go up and over some rocks we get to this collapsed passage that looks like it went to a lower level:
Then it’s the whinze that takes you down into the Carlswark cave system:
So it’s an about turn then a scramble up to the right to join the main drive again:
Pushing on down the main drive, its wet, muddy and narrow:
It’s worth it as there’s some pretty formations:
Nice flowstone:
And these lovely cave pearls:
Onwards we push:
At the end of this adit, it turns abruptly to the right then immediately into the whinze of doom that disappears into the abyss. Time to turn around:
Back out and down one of the cross-cuts. After 10 or so metres it pops out of the adit into a natural chamber:
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