Coalpithole Shaft No.10 16.10.12

     On 16^th October 2012, with the kind permission of the landowner, members of Burnley Caving Club descended Coalpithole shaft No.10 on Rushup Edge. This shaft was sunk in 1870 by the Peak Forest Mining Company and passed through about 440 feet of shale to limestone. Originally 610 feet deep, it reached the Coal Pit Hole Old vein, the founder meer of which was freed in 1760 when the partners of Coal Pit Hole gave one dish of lead ore. This major lead rake, 3 miles west of Castleton, trends for about 1 mile SE-NW commencing at Mine Cottage, Peak Forest, over the shoulder of Gautries Hill, crossing the B6061 Sparrowpit to Castleton road and the limestone-shale boundary to the shales of Rushup Edge. It is intersected by No.1 shaft, Rake shaft 320 feet deep, Veer Shaft 230 feet deep, Hilltop Shaft 100 feet deep, No. 3/8 shaft,  (100 yards North of B6061) 207 feet deep to water and No.10 shaft. (NGR 092 812). From 1865-1878 Coalpithole Mine was one of the richest lead mines in Derbyshire, comparable to Mill Close Mine, Darley Bridge. It was one of the first mines to have a horizontal steam winding and pumping engine, originally made by Bray and Co: Leeds in 1853 for Brightside Mine, Hassop. The mine was drained by the underground watercourse of Perryfoot  swallet. Dye inserted at No 3/8 shaft took 2 days to reach Rake shaft , 5-6 days to get to Speedwell main rising, emerging at Russet Well, 1.75 miles away, after 7 days .

    Bob Riley exiting Coalpithole Shart No. 10 Photo Fay Hartley

    With trepidation we removed the trapdoor in the large 12 foot by 9 foot metal grill capping and rigged a 120m rope plus 8m ladder for ease of access. The shaft looked huge, beautifully coloured with streaks of black, brown, white and orange, gradually tapering in diameter to what looked like infinity. From the surface to 50 feet, it is walled with large dressed blocks of limestone, below this the ginging is of red brick. We did not notice the small passage, 2 feet high by 1 foot wide, at a depth of 20 feet which is said to lead off SW. A few large orange “snottites”, probably colloidal haematite hung down the shaft. Bits fell off, landing with a frightening “boom” in the water below. A few narrow jets of water entered the shaft about 30 feet above the water surface but the ginging was in good condition overall. Unfortunately, the shaft was blocked and flooded with water at 230 feet and there was an oily smell. It would be interesting to use a “sniffer” to monitor radon levels and a MSA Altair 4X to measure carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and combustible e.g. methane gases. Has anyone been down Hilltop, Rake or Veer shafts recently?

References:-

1.       Williams D. 2003 Bulletin PDMHS Vol. 15, No.3 An Attempt in 1935-37 to Rework Coalpithole Mine, Peak Forest, Derbyshire.

2.       Elliot D. 1975 Caves of Northern Derbyshire Part 3

3.       Ford T.D. 1966 B.S.A. Cave Science Vol.5 No. 39 p379

4.       Salmon L.B. and Boldock G. 1949 Cave Science Vol.2 No. 9 p 15-20 Perryfoot Caves.

5.       Salmon L.B. 1963 Cave Science Vol.5 No.33 p 36-52

6.       Crabtree P.W. 1967 Journal British Speleological Assoc. Vol6 No.42 p43-61 The Peak Forest Mines, Part 1, The Development of Coalpithole Mine.

7.       Ford T.D. and Rieuworts J.H. Lead Mining in the Peak District.