Seedlow Lead Mine

Overview

A lead rake at Great Longstone worked across some seven centuries, with its main period of activity probably in the 17th and earlier 18th century, surviving today as an unusually complete and undisturbed set of surface mining remains.

History

Seedlow Rake, part of the wider Great Longstone Rake complex alongside White Rake and the Wardlow Sough vein, has documented lead mining in its vicinity since at least the mid-13th century, with records of working going back around seven centuries in total; the rake's main period of activity was probably the 17th and earlier 18th century. A detailed account of the mine's working specifically between 1764 and 1771 was published by Robert Thornhill in the Peak District Mines Historical Society's own journal in 1962, one of the society's earliest pieces of published research into an individual Derbyshire lead mine. The rake was last worked in the mid-19th century. Its surface remains survive today as a completely undisturbed series of features: gin circles, mine shafts, buddles -- including a fine rectangular buddle dam -- ruined coes, a water storage pond with its own leat, and slime ponds. At Old Seedlow Mine specifically, within a large bell-and-yard enclosure, a fine ginged engine shaft survives alongside two further shafts with their own gin circles, both with large waste hillocks that have since been extensively reworked.

Geology

Seedlow Rake, part of the wider Great Longstone Rake complex alongside White Rake and the Wardlow Sough vein.

Workings

Worked via gin circles, shafts, and a ginged engine shaft at Old Seedlow Mine, with ore processed through buddles including a fine rectangular buddle dam, fed by a dedicated water storage pond and leat.

Closure

Last worked in the mid-19th century.

What remains

A completely undisturbed series of surface remains, though several of the waste hillocks have since been extensively reworked.

Gin circles, mine shafts, buddles (including a rectangular buddle dam), ruined coes, a water storage pond with leat, and slime ponds.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• A detailed account of the mine's working between 1764 and 1771 was published by Robert Thornhill in the Peak District Mines Historical Society's own journal in 1962. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• Documented lead mining in the vicinity of Seedlow Rake dates from at least the mid-13th century, with the rake's main period of activity probably in the 17th and earlier 18th century, and the site last worked in the mid-19th century. ¹
• The rake survives as a completely undisturbed series of surface remains including gin circles, shafts, buddles (including a fine rectangular buddle dam), ruined coes, a water storage pond with leat, and slime ponds; Old Seedlow Mine specifically retains a fine ginged engine shaft within a large bell-and-yard enclosure. ¹
• A detailed account of the mine's working between 1764 and 1771 was published by Robert Thornhill in the Peak District Mines Historical Society's own journal in 1962. (uncertain) ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Seedlow Rake, Great Longstone — Derbyshire Historic Environment Record
2. (secondary) Derbyshire lead mining history — Wikipedia

Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026