# Carlswark Cavern/Middletone Dale Mine Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire, November 2020



## HughieD (Feb 23, 2021)

*1. Background:*
The Derbyshire village of Stoney Middleton located in the White Peak can be traced back to Roman times. It’s famous for its proximity to the plague village of Eyam and its location just due west of Middleton Dale meant it has also become a major centre for Peak District rock climbers. The valley of carboniferous limestone (calcium carbonate) has meant that Middleton Dale has been quarried for hundreds of years to produce lime and to provide stone for the construction industry. Stoney Middleton stone can be found in numerous important buildings including the nearby Chatsworth House, Windsor Castle, Houses of Parliament, and the Bank of England. There is also an extensive system of caves that are connected to old lead mine shafts.

*2. The Pictures*
Having had a look round the old quarries that stand side-by-side near Stoney Middleton along the dale, it was time to look at a couple of mines and some old lime kilns on this revisit.

*(I) Fingal’s Cave*
Fingal’s Cave is an entrance to Middleton Dale Mine. A large cave complex, this takes you into Level 5 of 12, and it is a mine on a vein called Nut Scrin. It begins as a very tall passage, the walls of which are coated with a film of minerals including blue fluorspar. After scrambling up a steep slope it reduces to the usual small mine level. At the end it intersects a natural passage, blocked in both directions. The passage lies at the same level as Ivy Green cave.

The approach:



img9662 by HughieDW, on Flickr



img9661 by HughieDW, on Flickr



Stoney Mines 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr



img9649 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Looking along the narrow cut channel



Stoney Mines 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr



Stoney Mines 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A lower-level entrance to the mine:



Stoney Mines 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr



Stoney Mines 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

*(II) Carlswark Cavern, Gin Entrance*
Here a track leads up from the road opens onto a broad ledge, known as The Gin. An entrance by the side of the track leads shortly to the bottom of an open slot at the base of the cliff. It’s a tight squeeze but you are soon into a natural cavern off which and a passage continues into mine workings. Digging gained access to a natural chamber at the end of a branch working.



img9630 by HughieDW, on Flickr



img9636 by HughieDW, on Flickr



img9633 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Think this might be fluorspar:



Stoney Mines 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

An old bucket and container:



Stoney Mines 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Looking back towards the entry point:



img9634 by HughieDW, on Flickr

*(III) Miscellaneous*

Had a quick look at Merlin Mine but didn’t find any substantial entrances so gave it a miss:



Stoney Mines 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr

In addition to the caves and mines there are a number of lime kilns. This one was right by the road and had an original hopper still insitu:



Stoney Mines 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The partially filled kiln:



Stoney Mines 12 by HughieDW, on Flickr



Stoney Mines 13 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Another on the same side of the road a bit further down towards Stoney:



Stoney Mines 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr



img9627 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And an old blocked-off adit:



Stoney Mines 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## BikinGlynn (Feb 23, 2021)

Looks interesting one too


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## HughieD (Feb 23, 2021)

BikinGlynn said:


> Looks interesting one too


More to see in both of these plus some other places too round Stoney. It's lead mine central!


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## waveydave (Feb 23, 2021)

Another one for my todo list. Excellent stuff as usual sir.


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## Derelictman7 (Feb 24, 2021)

HughieD said:


> *1. Background:*
> The Derbyshire village of Stoney Middleton located in the White Peak can be traced back to Roman times. It’s famous for its proximity to the plague village of Eyam and its location just due west of Middleton Dale meant it has also become a major centre for Peak District rock climbers. The valley of carboniferous limestone (calcium carbonate) has meant that Middleton Dale has been quarried for hundreds of years to produce lime and to provide stone for the construction industry. Stoney Middleton stone can be found in numerous important buildings including the nearby Chatsworth House, Windsor Castle, Houses of Parliament, and the Bank of England. There is also an extensive system of caves that are connected to old lead mine shafts.
> 
> *2. The Pictures*
> ...


Brilliant images, good post,,


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## HughieD (Feb 24, 2021)

Derelictman7 said:


> Brilliant images, good post,,


Cheers mate. Much appreciated.


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## yvettelancaster (Mar 12, 2021)

HughieD said:


> *1. Background:*
> The Derbyshire village of Stoney Middleton located in the White Peak can be traced back to Roman times. It’s famous for its proximity to the plague village of Eyam and its location just due west of Middleton Dale meant it has also become a major centre for Peak District rock climbers. The valley of carboniferous limestone (calcium carbonate) has meant that Middleton Dale has been quarried for hundreds of years to produce lime and to provide stone for the construction industry. Stoney Middleton stone can be found in numerous important buildings including the nearby Chatsworth House, Windsor Castle, Houses of Parliament, and the Bank of England. There is also an extensive system of caves that are connected to old lead mine shafts.
> 
> *2. The Pictures*
> ...


Really love old mines and quarries some great pics there


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