# Grove rake Fluorite mine Xmas 2012



## mistericeman (Jan 5, 2013)

As myself and the Mrs are currently holed up in our caravan hiding away from tinsel and crackerz ...And are likely to be doing so until well after the last chorus of Auld lang syne are chanted in a drunken stylee.

We decided to head up the road a tad to the mine rich area that is close to our base camp (I wonder how we managed to end up at a camp site so close .
Anyway a quick scout around and no signs of folks around ...(probably all tucking into their boxing day lunches) the guard cows were out in force though ) following a quick recce we located the two main drift entrances AND the two main winding shafts ....
A brief history 

For most of the 18th and 19th centuries the lead mines at Grove Rake were worked by the Beaumont Company. By the 20th century the mines of Grove Rake were producing fluorspar. After passing through the hands of many different companies the mine finally closed in 1999, by which time it was the last fluorspar mine in England.
Fluorspar was mainly used as a flux in iron and steel making. It is also used in the chemical industry to make fluorine to add to drinking water and toothpaste. Fluorspar was also used to make chloro-fluorocarbons, which used to be used as aerosol propellants and in fridges, but are now blamed for destroying the ozone layer. 

We had a good old wander around and even managed to get my old man to the top of the head gear with us 
Pictures


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## flyboys90 (Jan 5, 2013)

What better way to spend the festive time,great photos.


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## Bones out (Jan 5, 2013)

Noiiice.


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## Malcog (Jan 5, 2013)

Great pics. Grove Rake is my favourite disused mine.


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## Dexter24 (Jan 5, 2013)

Fantastic selection of photos, realy liked the ones from the top of the gear head.


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## mistericeman (Jan 5, 2013)

Dexter24 said:


> Fantastic selection of photos, realy liked the ones from the top of the gear head.



Certainly blew the cobwebs away ...sodding freezing it was ...mind it felt worth it when we reached the top ....bit shakey in places though lol


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## Judderman62 (Jan 6, 2013)

Very nice

..


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## hebog (Jan 6, 2013)

Photo 18 top left, what is it.??


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## mistericeman (Jan 6, 2013)

hebog said:


> Photo 18 top left, what is it.??




Which bit dude ???


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## ThenewMendoza (Jan 6, 2013)

Grove Rake is brilliant. Such a desolate landscape up there.

M


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## Judderman62 (Jan 7, 2013)

yep I liked the place lots too


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## the|td4 (Jan 22, 2013)

The Adit you ventured into, was that the one that went in horizontally (with the nicely carved date stone next to it?)

Cool pictures!


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## mistericeman (Jan 22, 2013)

the|td4 said:


> The Adit you ventured into, was that the one that went in horizontally (with the nicely carved date stone next to it?)
> 
> Cool pictures!



No mate it was the lower one (Below the disused vertical shaft with the dismantled head gear) Looked to get pretty grim collapse wise not too far in .I thought that after the concrete slab and steel hoops things would get more solid as i hit solid rock ...But the solid didn't seem to last long .

Maybe one for another visit later this year BUT Nenthead was calling


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