Gregory Mine, Overton Hall, Ashover, North East Derbyshire District, Derbyshire, England, UKi

Regional Level Types
Gregory Mine	Mine
Overton Hall	- not defined -
Ashover	Civil Parish
North East Derbyshire District	District
Derbyshire	County
England	Constituent Country
UK	Country

The Gregory mine was once one of the most productive lead mines in England, said to produce 1,511 tons annually and provided employment for 300 people. Main operations started in 1758 and ended in 1803 when it finally closed. The tall chimney and white slurry heaps are all that remains. Please note that this is a sensitive and protected area and that collecting requires permission which may not be granted.

***********************************************************************

An old lead mine, the Gregory Mine was apparently worked intermittently from the early 1700s, but certainly continuously from 1734 to 1803. The locality is now overgrown and, apart from the spoil heaps, little currently remains of the original mine with the only structure still left standing being a chimney. The main ore mined was galena which was the only ore of economic value during its working life. Sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite are reported to be present in small quantities along with fluorite (mainly small crystals), calcite and quartz. Enargite, wurtzite and pyrobitumen have also been cited as being found at this mine.

In 1734, the Nether Sough Company was formed to exploit the vein owned by the Gregory family of Ravens Nest Farm. By 1767 the output topped 1,000 tons and profits for the year were a remarkable £15,024 8s. 10d.
Between 1758 and 1803 this highly productive mine yielded an average of 1,511 tons of ore per annum, and shareholders had a clear profit of £100,000 after spending £23,000 on on prospecting for a new vein, which gives some idea of the magnitude and importance of the lead mining industry in Ashover in the 18th century.
Several steam engines were installed and worked by the Thompson family. The shaft north-west of Ravens Nest House was 120 yards deep, that at New Engine, west of Cocking Tor, 365 yards deep.
In 1768, the first steam engine was erected to lift the mine flood water to the slough by means of slide rods. By 1779, flooding in the Gregory Mine had worsened and this steam engine could not cope. A more efficient steam pumping engine was erected above Cocking Tor, on the site now occupied by Old Engine Farm.
In 1784, a general decline in the Ashover lead mining industry began. At the Gregory Mine, both output and profits were substantially reduced to the impoverishment of the vein and the costs which had been incurred during the search for richer ore. A last attempt to make the mine profitable was made in 1790 when a new shaft was commenced to the west of New Engine Shaft. In 1797, a new vein was discovered, but it was not enough to offset previous losses. Finally in 1803, after having been worked for over 70 years, the Gregory Mine was closed. The extent of excavation along the vein was marked on the surface by a stone post bearing the initials “G E 1803” in fine carving, but this has unfortunately disappeared. The old engine from Gregory Mine was moved to West Edge Mine which was situated on the hill opposite Butts Quarry. The remaining chimney has been designated as a Grade 2 listed building by Historic England.

This is a description of the mine taken from ‘A General View of the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire Volume 1’ by Farey, originally published in 1811:
“Gregory (mine) at Overton, in Ashover, in 1st Grit, Shale and Lime, much Lead, Antimoniated Lead Ore? Ore in Shale, two ribs of Ore of different kinds, transparent Flour (spar) with Silvery Pyrites, large Crystals of Calc. Spar, Slickensides, Bitumen in 1st Lime, a Shaft 300yards deep!, a large hillock.”

In 2017, it was reported that “the site is littered with small areas of exposed spoil with much of it showing signs of mineralisation. Galena is evident along with some sphalerite and a small quantity of pyrite. There are also signs of quartz and ample evidence of fluorite of various colours ranging from clear to amber to rose pink and deep purple”.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References