Old Millclose Mine

Old Millclose Mine was a lead mine near Wensley, in Derbyshire, England. The engine house of the mine survives as a ruin; it is a scheduled monument.[1]

Old Millclose Mine
Locationnear Wensley, Derbyshire
grid reference SK 258 618
Coordinates53°9′10.8″N 1°36′57.3″W
Built1859
Designated18 April 1979
Reference no.1017750
Location of Old Millclose Mine in Derbyshire

History

The engine house was built from 1859 to 1860 by Edward Wass, owner of Lea Lead Works, who re-opened this mine. It housed a Cornish engine, made by Thornewill and Warham of Burton-on-Trent, to pump water from the mine via the Watts engine shaft nearby. The engine was in use until the early 1870s.[1][2]

A new mine (Millclose Mine) was then opened about 450 metres (1,480 ft) to the north-east; it became known as the largest lead mine in Britain, eventually closing in 1940.[1][2]

Description

The "bob wall" of the engine house, thicker than the other walls, that supported the beam of the beam engine, survives to a height of 9 metres (30 ft). The arched opening that accommodated the beam was above the surviving section. It is of gritstone ashlar and is 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) thick. There are foundations or bases of the other walls.[1]

Nearby are the foundations of a boiler house, a winding engine house and a chimney. East of the engine house is the stone-lined shaft, now capped and covered with a grille.[1]

See also

References
  1. Historic England. "Old Millclose engine house and associated features, 570m south west of Cowley Hall (1017750)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  2. "Millclose mine" Derbyshire Heritage. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.