On
your right you'll notice a flat, scrubby patch of land (see picture above).
This is the remains of Riber Mine. Lead mining was one of the main activities
in the Matlock district and evidence of mining can be traced back to Medieval
times.
 |
| Ancient
lead vein |
There's still
plenty of heavy metal in this area. Lead, zinc and cadmium are just three
of the materials the earth is rich in.
The land
also hosts Barytes which was important in the paint industry and for making
paper. It's a heavy, dense mineral which is also used in North Sea oil
extraction because of its stabalising effects.
Fluorspar
(calcium fluoride) - which has a cubic crystal - is common in Derbyshire
and more specifically anywhere where there's plenty of limestone. The
leadminers of the past would have found it and disregarded it. In recent
years man has returned knowing that where there was lead there'll be fluorspar
and barytes. The examples we spotted had a slight orangey tinge indicating
a slight iron contamination.
|
Discover
more...
Local Geology expert Robin Jeffcoats tells us more mining and minerals.
 Listen
as Robin talks the talk as we walk the walk
 We took a walk through time on Otober
16th. Take a look at the pictures.
|
Another mineral
common in the Matlock area is Black Jack (Sphalerite) also known as zinc
sulphide. Used in the calamine business and also in brass working.
Early indications
of leadmining activity can be found in the caves along this walk, look out
for miners pick marks on the walls. This shows where the lead has been extracted
from the surface of the rock. Miners would have tapped away at the lead
leaving vertical scratch marks behind. |
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