Lead Workings in High Tor Recreation Ground

Overview

Despite their popular names, Roman Cave and Fern Cave on High Tor were never Roman workings at all -- they are two deep, narrow 16th- to 18th-century lead opencuts, among the finest examples of their kind in the country, opened to Victorian tourists as showcaves in 1865.

History

High on the limestone crag of High Tor above Matlock, a group of rock-cut clefts mark lead ore extracted from sub-vertical veins. The two main clefts, known to miners as High Tor Rake and Hard Rake but given the showcave names 'Fern Cave' and 'Roman Cave' in the Victorian period, run 2 to 5 metres wide and up to 20 metres deep, with tool marks still visible on their sides and small underground workings surviving at their bases. Fern Cave runs north from the western part of Roman Cave and terminates as a dramatic cleft in the cliff face, where a spoil heap marks the site of an adit running beneath the exposed workings; the west end of Roman Cave is separated from the cliff face by an infilled length, though an adit and spoil heap there confirm workings continued throughout. Despite the popular name, documented working here runs from the 16th to the 18th centuries, with no genuine evidence for Roman-period mining. The area of High Tor was developed as pleasure grounds, and in 1865 -- some years after its scenic walks and drives were first laid out -- the two lead-mine opencuts were opened to the public as showcaves and given their current names. A detailed 2006 survey of Fern and Roman Caves, and of short continuations beyond them within the scheduled area, concentrated on their below-ground features, identifying and plotting over 500 individual archaeological details -- mostly relating to the creation of the opencuts and subsequent efforts to locate further viable ore. These include evidence for early extraction by fire-setting and later working with gunpowder in shot holes, widespread pickwork scars and notches for supporting wooden timbers, and three places where worn rope grooves show where ore was hauled to the surface. In May 2008, a mineshaft opened up beside a footpath within the scheduled site; its excavation found 23mm-diameter shot holes indicating the shaft and its workings, probably of 18th- or 19th-century date, had also been worked using gunpowder. The lead workings on High Tor were scheduled as a nationally important monument in September 1996, valued as one of the finest examples nationally of deep, narrow opencut working, their unusual form having preserved tool marks on the rockfaces that weathering normally destroys elsewhere -- making this one of the few such sites where the public can safely see such features today.

Geology

Sub-vertical lead-bearing veins cut as deep, narrow opencuts (Roman Cave/Hard Rake and Fern Cave/High Tor Rake) through limestone crag.

Workings

Two main rock-cut clefts up to 20m deep with small underground workings at their bases, plus smaller adjacent clefts, adits and spoil heaps; a mineshaft with 18th/19th-century gunpowder shot holes was excavated nearby in 2008.

Closure

Documented working runs from the 16th to the 18th centuries; the site was later developed as Victorian pleasure grounds and opened as public showcaves in 1865.

What remains

Scheduled as a nationally important monument since September 1996; developed as a public recreation ground with the former workings safely accessible to visitors.

Two deep rock-cut clefts (Fern Cave and Roman Cave) with tool marks, smaller adjacent clefts, adits, spoil heaps and a 2008-excavated mineshaft with gunpowder shot-hole evidence survive.

Nearby mines

• Longtor Mines — 0.2 km SW
• Bonsall Leys Mines — 0.6 km SE
• Gentlewoman's Pipe — 0.6 km NW
• Masson Hill Mine — 0.7 km W
• Cumberland Mine — 1.3 km SW

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.

• The two main clefts, Roman Cave and Fern Cave, are 2m-5m wide and up to 20m deep, with surviving tool marks and small underground workings at their bases; workings are documented here from the 16th to the 18th centuries, with no evidence for genuine Roman-period working despite the popular name. ¹
• The area of High Tor was developed as pleasure grounds and in 1865, some years after the scenic walks and drives here were first developed, the two lead mine opencuts were opened as showcaves and given their current names. ²
• A detailed 2006 survey of Fern and Roman caves identified and plotted over 500 specific archaeological features, mostly relating to the creation of the opencuts and subsequent attempts to find further ore, including evidence for early extraction by firesetting and later work using gunpowder in shotholes, pickwork scars and notches for timbers, and three places where ore was hauled to the surface leaving worn rope grooves. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Lead workings in High Tor Recreation Ground, Matlock Town, Derbyshire — AncientMonuments.uk (mirroring the Historic England scheduling record)
2. (primary) Derbyshire HER: Lead working, High Tor recreation ground, Matlock Town (MDR3186) — Derbyshire Historic Environment Record

Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 17 September 2026