Location shows general mine location. See child mines for individual site locations.

There were early workings on the vein at Bincliff from the 17th Century, first being displayed on Yates map of the area in 1775. The site was owned by the Duke of Devonshire, the accounts for 1812 still exist and the tonnages were very low with one mine only producing 18 tons over the whole year.

The mining industry is famous for having its ups and downs and the Bincliff mines were no exception, with men being regularly transferred between the Lead mines and the Dukes copper mines at Ecton. In 1853 a company took interest in the mine and the North Staffs Consols Mining Co was born.

The company had £21000 of capital issued in £1 shares. The advert for shares suggested that a powerful waterwheel could be put on river to provide an unlimited power source for the mill, however anyone who knows the Manifold Valley will know that there is barely any water running in the river in that area. They also bigged up the amount of ore reserved despite much of it not yet being proved. The company first secured the level and shafts, the shafts originally were drained with a bucket on a windlass. When the shafts were connected to the adit the mine could be drained naturally. The main shaft (Oversetts) was 45fathoms (82 Metres deep.) The first year of production was 1855 resulting in between 35-50 tons of lead ore, although this includes the output from Highfields mine next door. In April the same year the men were paid weekly (ore dressers 75p, boys 20-25p) and day rate labourers were on 12.5p and 5p for men and boys, the ‘engine’ driver was the highest paid at £1.60 a week but may have provided his own horse.