Visit the Peak District Mining and Temple Museum

Delve into the depths of the Peak District’s fascinating mining industry

What do Noddy Clogg, Charming Phyllis, Wanton Legs and Nellie Long Arm all have in common, and how exactly did they help sculpt the hillsides of Derbyshire?

The Peak District has been Britain’s most important source of lead since Roman times.  By the 17th century, lead was second only to wool in importance to Britain’s economy. Now largely a defunct industry, the Peak District Mining Museum, in the heart of picturesque Matlock Bath, tells the story of lead, the lives of the people who mined it, and the technological advances that transformed mining from small-scale subsistence work to fully mechanised industry.

Spread over two floors, the museum’s main focus is the peak period (pun intended) of the 17th and 18th centuries, when hundreds of individual and idiosyncratically named mines (hello, Charming Phyllis!) punctuated the landscape. Rows of hillocks left by these shafts, often only metres apart, still decorate the surrounding hillsides. Life-size dioramas featuring period items – often reclaimed from old mines – and interactive soundscapes give a vivid impression of working conditions of the day. I was particularly intrigued by the legal process of ‘nicking’ another miner’s shaft, and the Barmote Courts where local mining disputes were settled.   

Gallery

Flooding was one of the greatest hindrances to these small mines, so those with an engineering bent may be interested in the development of the imposing water-pressure pump engine that looms over the gallery.

The upper floor is given to Matlock’s Victorian fame as a spa town, where visitors flocked to benefit from bathing in – and drinking – its mineral-rich waters. So rich, in fact, that the town became famous for its ‘petrifying wells’, whose calcium carbonate deposits gradually coated objects, turning them into stone-like souvenirs. There's also a section on industrial-scale mining, complete with a JCB digger cab to play and pose in. Small-ish people (of any age) can skip the stairs and climb one of several tight and gloomy ‘mine shafts’ between floors.

Other exhibits give a wider geological overview, including a glistening corridor of minerals donated by renowned collector Professor Howie, including Blue John – the only semi-precious stone still mined in Britain today, and found only in a single hillside in Derbyshire.   

I’d highly recommend the optional guided tour of Temple Mine (just across the road, three times daily) to get a proper hands-on, lights-out impression of what it would have been like working underground.   

Just remember not to whistle – it’s considered bad luck, and you don’t want to summon the underground spirits in the dark.

Members receive a £3 discount with the Great Savings Guide. Find out more here.

Stay at: Chatsworth, Castleton Club campsites

Please visit camc.com/greatsavingsguide for vouchers, discount codes, and pre-booking where applicable, along with terms and conditions for all offers. Make sure to check the site and attraction opening dates and times before your visit or travel.