Maury Mine and Sough

Overview

Maury Mine, drained by the 'Mawrey Sough' first recorded in 1653, was still yielding so little that a new sough driven from river level took until 1774 to reach it -- only to find most of the ore already gone.

History

Maury Mine, also known as Moorhigh Mine, sits above Priestcliffe Lees on the hillside south of the River Wye. It was probably well established by the 17th century, since the old 'Mawrey Sough', first documented in 1653, was presumably dug specifically to drain it at depth; a new sough was later driven from river level during the 18th century, finally reaching Maury Mine in 1774, by which time it was found that most of the ore had already been removed. The lead hillocks here were walled into a belland yard only after 1848 -- since they do not appear on the tithe map of that date -- suggesting either that the mine remained in use well into the 19th century, or that its ungrassed hillocks were considered dangerous to grazing stock; either way, the mine was certainly disused by 1880, when it appears as 'Moorhigh Mine (Lead) (Disused)' on the first edition Ordnance Survey map. The walled belland yard is almost entirely filled with mine hillocks, many of which were turned over and partly removed, probably during the 19th century, so that features once associated with the dressing floors no longer survive. Two adjacent, now-capped shafts remain, one of them an engine shaft next to one of the finest surviving gin circles in the orefield, some 11.5 metres across, with a smaller climbing shaft close by to the east. A dry-walled coe, the remains of a small sludge or buddle dam, and a possible water-storage pond also survive, along with a smaller, less certain feature that may be an ore-storage bin or the surround of a knockstone. Maury Mine and its associated features were scheduled as a nationally important monument in March 2013, valued in part for its group value alongside the adjoining west end of Lees Rake, which falls within the same scheduled area and is contiguous with the neighbouring Lees and Dove Rakes scheduling.

Geology

Maury Vein, a lead-bearing vein running from the Priestcliffe Lees hilltop down towards the River Wye.

Workings

A belland yard filled with hillocks, two capped shafts including an engine shaft, an 11.5m gin circle, a dry-walled coe, a buddle dam and a possible water-storage pond; the west end of Lees Rake falls within the same scheduled area.

Closure

Certainly disused by 1880, when it appears on the first edition Ordnance Survey map as 'Moorhigh Mine (Lead) (Disused)'.

What remains

Scheduled as a nationally important monument since March 2013; group-valued alongside the adjoining Lees and Dove Rakes scheduling.

A belland yard packed with hillocks, two capped shafts, a well-preserved 11.5m gin circle, a dry-walled coe, a buddle dam and a possible ore bin or knockstone surround survive.

Related mines

• Lees and Dove Rakes — Lees Rake's west end falls within Maury Mine's own scheduled area, and the two scheduling records are explicitly described as contiguous.

Nearby mines

• Lees and Dove Rakes — 1.1 km E
• Arbourseats Veins and Nay Green Mine — 3.0 km NE
• Putwell Hill Mine — 3.0 km SE
• Cackle Mackle and Stadford Hollow Lead Mines — 4.5 km E
• Seedlow Lead Mine — 5.0 km SE

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.

• Maury Mine was probably well established by the 17th century, as the old 'Mawrey Sough', first recorded in 1653, was presumably dug to drain it at depth; a new sough driven from river level in the 18th century finally reached Maury Mine in 1774, when it was found that most of the ore had already been removed. ¹
• Next to the engine shaft is one of the best remaining examples in the orefield of a gin circle, 11.5m in diameter; there is also a drywalled coe, the remains of a small sludge or buddle dam and a possible water storage pond. ¹
• Maury Mine sits within an area of well-preserved mining remains, with the west end of Lees Rake within the scheduled area, contiguous with the scheduling of Lees and Dove Rakes, illustrating the extent and intensity of exploitation of this regionally distinct mining landscape. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Derbyshire HER: Maury Mine, Priestcliffe Lees, Taddington (MDR8790) — Derbyshire Historic Environment Record
2. (primary) Maury Mine and Sough, Tideswell, Derbyshire — AncientMonuments.uk (mirroring the Historic England scheduling record)

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