Reports on this location have been popping up on and off over the years. Rather than the works themselves I'd always been most interested by the mine on site, though this often seemed to be sealed. However, it was recent talk of a second, less obvious mine entrance that persuaded me it was finally time to visit.
High Tor Works was last inhabited by Rockwood Pigments, who were 'colour manufacturers'. Originally a location for lead mining, the site that formed High Tor Works 'became available just as the paint industry was demanding the cheap alternative to white lead. Mr. Hare (senior), who was the manager at High Tor Colour works around 1969, told Colin Goodwyn that paint works owners were said to raise their hats to piles of barytes in respect and in recognition of the money they made by not using lead.'
Source: http://www.andrewsgen.com/matlock/pix/matlockdale_hightor_colourworks.htm
The closure date for Rockwood Pigments isn't clear, and the site seems to be owned currently by Heights of Abraham, but they're not doing much with it from the look of things...
The derpy bit
[description of mines edited for accuracy as I had confused the two - thanks @waveydave for additional info ]
Mine Part 1 - High Tor Grotto
High Tor Grotto was used as a show mine in 1800s. It comes to an abrupt end shortly after a flooded section.
Not far in the roof is held up by a dangerous game of jenga...
flooded...
Mine 2 - Side Mine
‘Side Mine is a large adit below the paint works in Matlock Bath along Hard rake. It was used as a pumpway in the 1820's and 40's, A large waterwheel at the adit opening powered the pump rods which raised water from 120ft below river level. There are no remains of this system although the adit remains open.
The Side Mine workings were intersected by Riber Mines decline in the 1950's.'
Source: https://www.aditnow.co.uk/Mines/Side-Lead-Mine_10184/
'for a period of time, outflow from one of the colour works processes was vented into side mine, coating the place with a very liberal dose of red oxide (or something similar), which would then stain all your caving kit, and meant you left a significant tell-tale trail of red foot-prints on exiting the mine.
Source: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=10839.0
The entrance to this mine took some finding, but once I located it I headed in. What strikes you first is just how red it is compared to the first. As the comment above mentions, this mine was used by Rockwood for pumping the waste from the pigment production. As such, it results in you getting covered and, perhaps more worrying, breathing in a load of unidentified red stuff. The mine carries on further than these pictures show, and I certainly didn't get to the end of it on this visit. After taking a few pics (my lens kept steaming up) and having walked for a bit to a point where it begins to narrow I realised that I seemed more out of breath than was perhaps normal, so I quickly headed back to where the air was less... red.
End
Would be interested to see what lies further on in the red mine, if someone better equipped than me makes it for a visit sometime soon.
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