Old Mines in the UK and Ireland

Penny Rigg Quarry Adit

This is actually the leat system used to carry water from Tilberthwaite Gill down to the waterwheel at Penny Rigg Copper Mill.

Tilberthwaite Deep Level Adit

The Tilberthwaite Deep Level or Horse Level is a mile-long rock cut tunnel that leads from near the ruins of Penny Rigg Copper Mill to the depths of the Three Kings Mine beneath the mountain.

Tilberthwaite Gill Head Waterfall Level

The Tilberthwaite Waterfall Level is an old ‘coffin level’ said to have been started by the German Miners in the 16th Century. The tunnels here were extended in the 19th Century to drain water from the deep Tilberthwaite Mine nearby.

Shaly Dingle

Part of the West Pennine Moors, Winter Hill itself is a well-known area for hiking and other outdoor activities, but tucked away on the north slopes, on the edge of the open-access area, Shaly Dingle not so much.

Clearwell Caves

‘Underneath the mysterious Royal Forest of Dean lies something spectacular and unseen, an unfathomable natural cave system that has been mined for more than 4,500 years’.

Grimes Graves

Grime’s Graves is the only Neolithic flint mine open to visitors in Britain.

Three Kings Mine

The Tilberthwaite Mine, reckoned to be based on the old Three King’s Mine is a deep, 155 metres down to the Tilberthwaite Deep Level.

Cathedral Quarry

A disused slate quarry that is every bit as impressive as a natural cave as it’s industrial past crumbles and the place returns to nature.

Winter Hill Tunnel

From the top of Winter Hill a very old tunnel, presumably a mine, known as the Winter Hill Tunnel once led down under the hillside

Winter Hill Mines

Winter Hill has been mined extensively since before historic records begin and evidence of several historic types of mine can be found in the local area, including early ‘bell pits’, primitive tunnels, extensive 19th century underground workings and more recent open cast mining remains.

Parrock Quarry

An overgrown old quarry with interesting industrial remains and tunnels.

Hodge Close Quarry

Hodge Close Quarry is a large, steep sided, disused slate quarry that is flooded with water.

Blue John Cavern

The spectacular Blue John Cavern is famous as the place where the mineral Blue John was found and mined, a form of Flourite which can be seen in various places throughout the cavern.

Rough Bank Colliery (ruin)

The overgrown remains of Rough Bank Colliery

Rainford Old Delf - Crank Caverns

A small closehead quarry at Rainford Old Delf, known locally as Crank Caverns

Croesor Quarry

Aspull Sough

The Haigh Sough was driven into the rock to reach mines on the local Kings and Cannel coal seams in 1657 by Sir Roger Brandshaigh to provide drainage. The sough was later extended eastward in the 19th Century.

Kirkless Wood

A post-industrial woodland area dominated by a huge spoil heap now appearing as a wooded hill.

Duxbury Park Colliery (ruin)

Demolition rubble and spoil heaps from the old Duxbury Park Colliery.

Ellerbeck Collieries (ruin)

A few upstanding but low walls and fenced off mineshafts from the old Ellerbeck Collieries.

Old Lyons Colliery (ruin)

An old ruined farmstead and colliery on Darwen Moor with capped mineshafts and a few low walls upstanding.

Horse Crag Quarry

An old slate working up on Horse Crag with underground workings on the Tilberthwaite Deep Adit Level.

Worsley Delph

The canal tunnel entrances and wharfe for the Duke of Bridgewater’s navigable levels.

White Coppice Lead Mine

A blocked adit to an old lead mine at the back of the quarry above White Coppice.

Coppice Stile Lead Mine Trial

A small lead mine trial beside Dean Black Brook.

Smithills Colliery

J H Ainsworth’s old coal mines in the area around Smithills Hall.

Rivington Moor Colliery (ruin)

The remains of the old Rivington Moor Colliery towards the summit of Winter Hill.

Rivington Moor Brickworks (ruin)

An 18th Century brick works relying on clay from the adjacent mine.

Round Barn Quarry

A large, disused quarry, overgrown but interesting industrial archaeology and dangerous underground closeheads.

Hartshill Diorite Pits

Early 20th Century test pits to extract diorite rock for road aggregates.

Owshaw Clough Mine Filtration Ruins

The ruins of a old mine drain filtration system in Owshaw Clough.

Engine Vein

A mineral vein in the Alderley Edge copper mines, said to have been a site of mining activity for over 4000 years.

Lead Mines Clough Lead Mines

Restored remains of an old lead mine beside the Limestone Brook.

Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin)

A remains of a series of primitive ‘pit kilns’ beside a footpath leading up Wildersmoor on the south slope of Winter Hill.

Prospect (ruin)

An ruined farmstead below Brown Hill, overlookng the town of Horwich.

Rivington Moor Bell Pits (ruin)

A group of possibly quite ancient ‘bell pits’ on Rivington Moor together with an old, stone sheep pen.

Raikes Clough Colliery (site of)

The site of an early colliery beside the River Croal in Bolton.

Sykes Mine

Sykes Mine is an old lead mine, that worked mineral veins on either side of the Trough Road and Losterdale Beck, above Sykes.

Victoria Main Colliery

An old colliery or coal mine that closed around the turn of the 20th Century.

Hole Bottom Mining Area

The Hole Bottom area was mined around the mid 19th to 20th Centuries. Focussing on an area to the east of the current mast road and from the south of Hole Bottom and northwards towards the area of the Five Houses.