1. The History
Nickergrove lead mine is in the Peak District area of Derbyshire on the slopes to the west of Cucklet Delph, due west of Stoney Middleton. Also known as Great Cucklet Mine, it is surrounded by numerous caves, ranging from short passages of only a few metres long to other cave systems that are more than 3km in length. The mine was driven along several scrins and pipe veins while intersecting a number of natural cavities enlarged by solution. The mine exploited small veins, via the use of cross-cuts, small stopes and internal shafts.
It’s likely that it was first worked as a mine as far back as the 1750s and continued to be worked until circa 1900. The mine had three entrances in total. The most southernly was the mine’s main adit entrance that travels south-west until it reaches the main drive and the runs in a north-westerly direction. Slightly north of here is the pallette shaft. Nearby is what is known as the hillside entrance. Finally, the Didsbury shaft is north-east of here.
2. The Explore
Explored with my regular mine-exploring wingman and non-forum member. Been meaning to check this mine out for a while. There are very few pictures of this place on-line and little in the way of history. And just the one report on here from @The Kwan which made the place look like a mudfest. However, an old map of the area’s caves and mines told us there was a mine with several entrances to it so off we popped to Stoney (again!). We weren’t expecting too much but, in the end, ended up being presently surprised. Having parked up outside of Stoney, just by the turn off up to Eyam, we headed up the delph in the glorious autumn colours. We headed up the slope off to the left and soon found the gash like adit entrance to the mine.
The initial drive is a good height and then you soon reach a junction. A lower-level drive continues straight on for a short distance, but we didn’t bother with this. Instead, we turned right and kept going. There were one or two narrow passages off to the right and a collapsed passage to a lower level. Eventually, we came to winze with an old telegraph pole across it. It was rigged and the caving boys descend, and it is possible to reach a lower level. It also carries on past the winze at the same level, but it was difficult to traverse safely given we didn’t have any caving gear, so we decided to turn around and wend our way back admiring the beautiful mineralisation.
3. The Pictures
No way in here. Looks like we’ve gone too far down the track:
This looks more like it:
It’s a decent height to start with:
The passage continues straight on but at a lower level:
To the right we turn:
Some lovely mineralisation:
This formation is incredible:
And this one, too:
Onward we push:
This looked like toffee to me:
Here there were the remains of a collapsed shaft(?) to a lower level:
More stooping:
And as far as we went. The 15m deep winze:
And back out again:
Nickergrove lead mine is in the Peak District area of Derbyshire on the slopes to the west of Cucklet Delph, due west of Stoney Middleton. Also known as Great Cucklet Mine, it is surrounded by numerous caves, ranging from short passages of only a few metres long to other cave systems that are more than 3km in length. The mine was driven along several scrins and pipe veins while intersecting a number of natural cavities enlarged by solution. The mine exploited small veins, via the use of cross-cuts, small stopes and internal shafts.
It’s likely that it was first worked as a mine as far back as the 1750s and continued to be worked until circa 1900. The mine had three entrances in total. The most southernly was the mine’s main adit entrance that travels south-west until it reaches the main drive and the runs in a north-westerly direction. Slightly north of here is the pallette shaft. Nearby is what is known as the hillside entrance. Finally, the Didsbury shaft is north-east of here.
2. The Explore
Explored with my regular mine-exploring wingman and non-forum member. Been meaning to check this mine out for a while. There are very few pictures of this place on-line and little in the way of history. And just the one report on here from @The Kwan which made the place look like a mudfest. However, an old map of the area’s caves and mines told us there was a mine with several entrances to it so off we popped to Stoney (again!). We weren’t expecting too much but, in the end, ended up being presently surprised. Having parked up outside of Stoney, just by the turn off up to Eyam, we headed up the delph in the glorious autumn colours. We headed up the slope off to the left and soon found the gash like adit entrance to the mine.
The initial drive is a good height and then you soon reach a junction. A lower-level drive continues straight on for a short distance, but we didn’t bother with this. Instead, we turned right and kept going. There were one or two narrow passages off to the right and a collapsed passage to a lower level. Eventually, we came to winze with an old telegraph pole across it. It was rigged and the caving boys descend, and it is possible to reach a lower level. It also carries on past the winze at the same level, but it was difficult to traverse safely given we didn’t have any caving gear, so we decided to turn around and wend our way back admiring the beautiful mineralisation.
3. The Pictures
No way in here. Looks like we’ve gone too far down the track:
This looks more like it:
It’s a decent height to start with:
The passage continues straight on but at a lower level:
To the right we turn:
Some lovely mineralisation:
This formation is incredible:
And this one, too:
Onward we push:
This looked like toffee to me:
Here there were the remains of a collapsed shaft(?) to a lower level:
More stooping:
And as far as we went. The 15m deep winze:
And back out again:
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