Gorseydale Lead Mines

Overview

Gorseydale, with traces of over 350 shafts packed into about a square kilometre of Bonsall Moor -- the greatest concentration of lead-mine shafts anywhere in Derbyshire -- gave 18th-century geologists Pilkington and Whitehurst their evidence for early theories of how mineral veins formed.

History

Gorseydale, on land south of Bonsall Lane and east of Bonsallmoor Lane, holds the greatest concentration of lead-mine shafts anywhere in Derbyshire: traces of over 350 shafts survive across an area of about a square kilometre, of which more than 200 remain open, mostly 12 to 28 metres deep. Mining was underway here by at least 1745, when Hangworm Mine was operating, though the primitive character of some workings suggests an even earlier date; around 50 individual mines were eventually sunk across the site, some with distinctive names such as Dirty Face and Have Nothing Grove. Gorseydale is particularly noted for early attempts to sink shafts to greater depths using developing technologies of excavation, ventilation and drainage: a reference to a Gorseydale mine called Catchwind Grove in 1789 suggests a funnel-like structure was erected over a shaft to direct wind downward for ventilation, while at Hangworm Mine a small shaft sloping into the main shaft has been interpreted as a ventilator that required a fire basket and an enclosing structure to create a draught. Underground, the mines show many different techniques used to work ore across the centuries, including fire-setting, plug-and-feather splitting and both lime and gunpowder blasting -- reflecting the sheer length of time the ground here was exploited. Gorseydale's greatest historical significance, though, lies above ground: the site was central to the highly influential geological studies of John Whitehurst and James Pilkington in the late 18th century, with Hangworm Mine used directly as evidence in early discussions of how mineral veins were formed, and Salters Way mine visited by both men in their attempts to confirm their hypotheses. A particularly large and well-preserved shaft in the north-east corner of the southern scheduled area, about 2 metres in diameter, stone-lined and now capped with an access grille, is believed to be part of Hangworm Mine itself, complete with a large gin circle. In the northern area, close to Bonsall Lane, survive at least four bouse teams -- stone-built compartments used to store ore before processing, standing to about 0.4 metres and considered extremely unusual survivals in Derbyshire -- next to a dressing floor where the ore was worked. Site monitoring found Gorseydale not under threat and it has been recorded as a high-priority site for the Peak District's lead-mining heritage.

Geology

A densely mined lead-bearing area of Bonsall Moor, with the greatest concentration of lead-mine shafts recorded anywhere in Derbyshire (over 350 traced, 200+ still open).

Workings

Around 50 individual named mines including Hangworm and Salters Way, with a stone-lined gin-circle shaft, ventilation shafts, dressing floors and at least four surviving bouse teams (ore-storage bays), across two scheduled areas totalling about a square kilometre.

Closure

No reliable closure date has yet been located; site monitoring by the Peak District National Park Authority found the monument not under threat.

What remains

Scheduled as a nationally important monument since 1997; recorded as a high-priority Peak District lead-mining site, monitored and found not under threat.

Over 350 traced shafts (200+ open), gin-circle mounds, coes, ventilation shaft remains, shallower earlier workings and at least four bouse teams beside a dressing floor survive.

Nearby mines

• Beans and Bacon Mine — 0.3 km SE
• Slack, Mount Pleasant and Barmasters Grove Lead Mines — 0.6 km E
• Winster Pitts and Drummer's Venture — 1.0 km NW
• Winster Mines — 1.6 km NW
• Mount Pleasant Lead Mines — 1.7 km NE

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Gorseydale holds the greatest concentration of lead-mine shafts in Derbyshire, with traces of over 350 shafts in an area of about a square kilometre, over 200 still open and mainly 12-28m deep; mining was taking place by at least 1745, when Hangworm Mine was operating. ¹
• Gorseydale mines were the setting for the highly influential geological studies of Pilkington and Whitehurst in the late 18th century, with Hangworm Mine used as an illustration of geological formation processes and Salters Way mine visited by both men in attempts to confirm their hypotheses. ²
• In the area immediately south of Bonsall Lane survive at least four bouse teams, stone-built compartments where ore was stored prior to processing, standing to about 0.4m and facing west, described as extremely unusual survivals in Derbyshire, positioned next to a dressing floor. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Derbyshire HER: Gorseydale Lead Mines, 300m north and 650m north-west of Moor Farm, Bonsall (MDR3029) — Derbyshire Historic Environment Record
2. (primary) Gorseydale lead mines, 300m north and 650m north west of Moor Farm, Bonsall, Derbyshire — AncientMonuments.uk (mirroring the Historic England scheduling record)

Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026