Engine Sough at Odin Mine, south of Mam Tor, Castleton, Edale (Group Record)

Summary

Area of historic lead mineworkings to the south of Mam Tor. The site (which was scheduled in 1996) includes part of Engine Sough together with an adjacent area of mineworkings which are made up part of the wider Odin Mine complex (see NTSMR 60466*0 - subject to a separate scheduling).

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Description

[1] This is an area of historic lead mineworkings located to the south and at the foot of Mam Tor. The site (which was scheduled in 1996) includes part of Engine Sough and an adjacent area of mineworkings which are part of Odin Mine (see NTSMR 60466*0 - subject to a separate scheduling).

On the north east side of this monument the remains of mine shafts and spoil tips (which are partly enclosed on the north and west sides by the remains of a drystone wall) are visible. The mine site is approached from the south east by a mine-related cart track which runs alongside the field boundary wall and continues towards Mam Tor. On the south west side, the monument includes two mounds located c.30m apart which mark the location of shafts sunk during the construction of Engine Sough. The sough and the adjacent mineworkings are located on shale at its interface with the limestone plateau to the south and east of Mam Tor. They were driven into the shale specifically to seek the veins of lead ore which were hard to follow underground because of the complexities of the beds of shale and limestone. Odin Mine is a multi-period mine which was reputedly worked during the tenth century though the earliest written reference which appears to mention it by name dates to 1260. The limestone was certainly worked by 1600, though workings on the shale are probably later than this. The mine was in continuous operation between 1704 and 1867.

The importance of the area associated with Engine Sough lies in its demonstration of the techniques and technologies used to locate and extract lead ore in a geologically complex area. Soughs were horizontal tunnels dug specifically for draining water away from underground mineworkings. Although they are common features in association with Derbyshire lead mines, they are rare elsewhere in the country. Well preserved examples like Engine Sough are, therefore, considered to be of national importance (text edited from Historic England's Scheduling description, last amended 1996 - SNA66471).

[2] The mine account book states a shaft was sunk on Mam Side, and was probably commenced in 1707.
Climbing the road opposite the Blue John Cavern one crosses over the probable site of Tinkers Shaft. Some 300 yards (274m) up the road a gate on the right lead to the remaining waste hillocks of Engine Shaft. The line of a tramway of 1908 vintage can still be made out leading down to the gate(see NTSMR 65373). It is not certain which shaft this could be, but there seems to be two possibilities, either the one shown on a later plan as Blue Hillocks or perhaps even the Mam Engine. Some undergroung working apparently took place in 1908 and 1909 from the Mam Engine Shaft and it is said considerable quantities of flurspar and barytes were raised, but unfortunately no details remains. The hillocks were worked later and most hillocks were finally removed as ballast for rebuilding the Mam Tor road.

The shaft still exists with the ginging around the top still visible [as of 1986]. Very few identifiable features remain as the site was worked again for fluorspar and much of the materual later removed for further road repairs. The course of the tramway from below the shaft to the road can be seen. The toxic nature of the waste heaps remaining mean that the grass cover is only partial. Note: Refer to Ford,T.D & Rieuwerts,J.H (1976) for references to mine account book - SZE8594. (Beamish, 1986: 111-112)

[6] This shaft on a waste hillock is now capped with a metal cover. Adjacent to the west is a circular hollow on the hillock, its shape and relatively small size suggesting it is the site of an ore crushing circle. The majority of the extensive hillocks at this site were removed earlier this century (see site 10), all that remains being a relatively level area of part-vegetated poisoned ground. The depth of Mam Engine Shaft to the Cartgate was c 168m but this depth may well have not been achieved as a single lift. The shaft was probably first sunk in the early 18th century. It was last used in 1908-09, when this part of the vein was reworked underground for fluorspar and barytes (Rieuwerts and Ford 1976).

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