Friday 4 March 2011

Magpie Mine

Pit Head and Beam Engine House at the Magpie Mine
The Magpie Mine is a disused lead mine near Monyash in the Peak District. Derbyshire had many lead mines in the past, some deep mines like this one and some shallow surface mines. Magpie Mine is the best preserved of the deep mines. The main shaft is 222 meters deep although the bottom 47 meters is flooded. The Cornish Beam Engine was installed inside the engine house in 1840. It was used to pump water out of the mine. The steel pit head and cage date from the most recent workings of the mine in the 1950s.
The mine is said to be cursed and haunted. The curse was laid by the widows of three men killed in the mine in 1833 during a dispute between two different sets of miners when their tunnels met.
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 14mm, 1/125s @ f/5.6)

3 comments:

  1. One of my favourite places. Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is a sinister kind of beauty to deserted places like that. Yes one can imagine it to be haunted. (And some echos of old curses...)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I visited the site yesterday for the time, after many years walking in the Peak District. It is a very exposed location and quite bleak - but very interesting.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.