Taken yesterday - a photo of an old lead mine on a hillside above Hartington. There are lots of these in Derbyshire and whenever we encounter one high up on a hillside like this it is a reminder of how valuable lead ore was. Dragging any type of equipment up here, or merely some wood to shore up the mine would have been difficult and maybe impossible for a horse and cart.
Perhaps they didn't bother, but just swung those picks and took a chance. Hard times.
6 comments:
It's probably worth a shot for a nugget of lead as long as you did a method statement for H&S. Did you take a pick with you?
Even when you got it out of the ground, it would carry on harming you. But I doubt if they knew that then.
Not so long ago it was used to sweeten cider.
And there was not a tax on sugar.
There was a branch of family in that part looked at years ago. The locals operated as groups and networks of close relations with a lot of intermarriage. So the men did the heavy stuff and the women and children the other in groups. It was noted as remarkable how much a group of 3-9 year old's could manage.
From James Higham -
Dragging any type of equipment up here, or merely some wood to shore up the mine would have been difficult
Not for the builders of Stonehenge, I surmise.
Graeme - I took a pic but not a pick.
Sam - the crazy one was adding it to petrol long after the toxic nature of it was well known. I never understood that.
Doonhamer - yes sugar of lead. I often wondered what it tastes like but never tried to find out.
Demetrius - and it would have been too remote for anyone to pay attention to minor miners.
James - good point - and no profit motive either.
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