As members will be aware, PDMHS had to temporarily suspend underground trips in 2016 because our existing insurance was not providing sufficient cover for underground activities. PDMHS needs more people to help us record, survey, and preserve the underground heritage of Derbyshire’s mines, so the solution we have decided on is the formation of an autonomous group within PDMHS. It will be called the Underground Exploration Group (UEG), and will apply for member club status with the British Caving Association and take part in the BCA Public Liability Insurance scheme. Continue reading
Category Archives: Walks and underground trips
Duckmanton Railway Cutting and Arkwright Town, near Chesterfield.
Saturday 17th February 2018. Only one place still available.
Prior booking essential – meeting arrangements will be supplied when booking your place(s).
Underground Trip – Milldam Fluorspar Mine, Great Hucklow.
Saturday 17th March 2018 (date to be confirmed). Meeting arrangements will be supplied when booking your place(s).
Please note: this trip is now fully booked.
Organiser: Paul Chandler.
Stanton Moor Industrial Heritage Walk Report
As with many of our recent walks, we were lucky with the weather at the end of October for our guided heritage walk looking at some of the disused gritstone quarries on Stanton Moor. Fourteen of us met near Birchover, including one couple whose ancestors quarried at Stanton for at least 200 years. They brought with them the wonderful photograph below of several members of their family with a steam crane at one of the quarries.
Walk report: Castleton, Pindale and Dirtlow Rake
The group of 15 set off from Castleton to Odin mine sough tail, Trickett Bridge.
The stream bed here is stained orange due to iron in the shale the sough runs through. The valley bottom is mostly of shale with the reef limestone rising up to form Treak Cliff and Long Cliff.
A strong flow of water was rising at our next stop, Russet well, this was formerly a main source of Castleton’s water supply. The well helps drain the Peak to Speedwell cave system, of which the large natural shaft, Titan, is a part. Continue reading