Magpie Mine and an unexpected ending!
DATE 17.02.2013
Posted by Matt | Filed under peak district
THIS ENTRY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TO USUAL. I HAD SO MUCH MORE PLANNED FOR TODAY. iT ALL STARTED OUT AT 7.30AM AT THE RUTLAND ARMS HOTEL IN BAKEWELL. MY PLAN FOR THE DAY WAS TO TAKE AN EARLY MORNING TRIP OUT TO MAGPIE MINE AND THEN TO HEAD OFF TOWARDS THE HIGH PEAK FOR A WALK AROUND LADYBOWER RESERVOIR AND WIN HILL. UNFORTUNATELY MY VISIT IN THE PEAKS WAS GOING TO BE A LOT SHORTER THAN PLANNED.
APPROACHING MAGPIE MINE. A COLD AND ICY MORNING. I WAS INTENDING TO BE HERE AN HOUR EARLIER TO CATCH THE FOG BUT THAT HOTEL BED WAS JUST TOO COMFORTABLE. YOU CAN JUST SEE THE LAST OF THE FOG RECEEDING IN THE BACKGROUND.
MAGPIE MINE IS ABOUT 3 MILES FROM BAKEWELL, NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SHELDON. ITS A 19TH CENTURY LEAD MINE WITH A TROUBLED HISTORY
APPARENTLY THERE WERE DISPUTES WITH MINERS FROM ANOTHER MINE, WORKING THE SAME VEINS. FIRES WERE LIT UNDERGROUND TO SMOKE THEM OUT WHICH CAUSED THE DEATHS OF THREE MINERS.
LOOKING BACK TO THE aGENT'S HOUSE AND SQUARE CHIMNEY
APPARENTLY THE WIVES OF THE DEAD MINERS PUT A CURSE ON THE MINE. DONT YOU JUST LOVE THESE SPOOKY STORIES?
A HORSE GIN. A WOODEN DEVICE ASSISTED BY HORSE POWER TO LIFT LEAD UP FROM THE MINE SHAFTS.
A LOVELY CLEAR SKY THIS MORNING. PERFECT FOR A DAY OF HIKING IN THE PEAKS. THERE HASN'T BEEN MANY DAYS LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE!
THE SUNRISE TO THE EAST MAKES A PLEASING GOLDEN GLOW ACROSS THE CIRCULAR CHIMNEY
AN INTERESTING ANGLE TO VIEW FROM BUT I QUITE LIKE IT
THE STEEL HEADGEAR AND CAGE OF THE MAIN SHAFT.
APPARENTLY ON A SUNNY DAY LIKE TODAY WITH THE SUN HIGH IN THE SKY, YOU CAN LOOK DOWN THROUGH THE GRILLE OF THE MAIN SHAFT AND SEE WATER 175M BELOW. IMAGINE FALLING DOWN THERE!!
VISIT.1 OF THE DAY COMPLETED. MY NEXT PLAN WAS TO POP BACK TO BAKEWELL TO CHECK-OUT AND THEN HEAD TO THE HIGH PEAK. UNFORTUNATELY I RETURNED VIA A REKNOWNED BLACK SPOT, LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR, WENT HEAD ON INTO A WALL AND FLIPPED MY MUCH LOVED X-TRAIL.
FORTUNATELY IT WAS JUST ME IN THE CAR AND NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED. I WAS ALSO VERY LUCKY TO WALK AWAY WITHOUT INJURY. THE NEXT CAR TO COME DOWN THIS ROAD RECIEVED A SURPRISE PUNCTURE JUST BEFORE REACHING ME. THE DRIVER GOT OUT AND TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ROAD BEING A NIGHTMARE AND THAT TWO OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE HAD ACCIDENTS HERE TOO.
THEN A COUNCIL WORKER DROVE BESIDE US AND TALKED OF HIS PERISTANT COMPLAINTS TO THE COUNCIL FOR NOT GRITTING THIS TROUBLE SPOT.
£120 SPENT ON TRAIN TICKETS AND BACK HOME IN ONE PIECE BUT WITH A HIKING ITCH IN SERIOUS NEED OF SCRATCHING
