Area now falls within Section 3A of the Minera Reclamation Scheme, situated north of the former Mineral Railway track. Several key shafts were established here, including Lloyd’s Shaft, which has been made safe at SJ 2682 5138 following the removal of all mining waste. Andrews Shaft, still present at SJ 2675 5143, remains capped with a low stone wall, while Ellertons Shaft once lay to its northwest.
A further shaft is located southwest of Tan-y-Graig Issa at SJ 2659 5146, now capped, with a second possible shaft—potentially Ellertons—appearing as a mound near the mineral railway which linked the major mining sites and was crucial for transporting extracted ore. The remnants of a locomotive engine shed still exist near Andrews Shaft, providing evidence of the site’s extensive industrial network.
The most striking remnant of the site’s power infrastructure is the 1860s Engine House at Lloyd’s Shaft. This structure, reaching approximately five meters in height at SJ 2680 5138, has been stabilized as part of the Reclamation Programme. The building retains notable architectural features, including arched doorways and windows. Beneath the earthworks, the foundations of the boiler house and the masonry base of the engine remain intact. Lloyd’s Engine House originally housed a 14-inch horizontal engine that powered a cage for transporting miners.
Near Andrews Shaft, the foundations of an additional engine house and the base of its chimney may still be present, hidden under the woodland earthworks at SJ 2670 5146. Andrews and Ellertons worked in close collaboration, utilizing a single 14-inch horizontal engine to raise ore from both shafts. This same engine also powered the crusher on the dressing floors.
The Main Vein and Red Vein within the Carboniferous Limestone were the focal points of intensive mining activity in the late 19th century.
The railway itself, constructed in the 1850s, linked the major mining sites and was crucial for transporting extracted ore.
External Links
Publications (2)
- (1921); BGS - Mineral Resources of GB (c1920s) Vol XIX - Lead and Zinc: in Carboniferous of North Wales; 169 pages
- Ford, Trevor D. (2002); PDMHS (Peak District Mines Historical Society) 15-1 Sum - Calcite Mining in the Peak District; 9 pages (29-37)