Silence Mine

Overview

A lead mine on the Hucklow Edge Old Vein at Great Hucklow, worked from 1713 to 1885, remembered for a protracted and at one point violent 18th-century dispute over its mining rights and for a deep sough driven to keep the workings clear of water.

History

Silence Mine was opened up in 1713, when Benjamin Ashton and his partners -- including Aymer Rich of Bullhouse, Yorkshire -- made an indenture with the Countess of Bellamont, who owned the manor and mineral rights, and discovered veins of lead ore at great depth on the Hucklow Edge Old Vein. The Countess died the following year, passing the manor to Charles Cokayne, Viscount Cullen, and disputes over the mining rights ran on for years; in 1738 the conflict turned violent, with 30-40 men defending the mine day and night against the sheriff's own officers over the question of possession. The dispute was not resolved until Articles of Agreement were signed in 1749, under which Cullen retained a 1/12th share of the ore while Ashton's partners kept operational control; Ashton himself had died in 1725, and the partnership continued under his remaining partners. The mine reached 328 feet through shale before meeting a 198-foot thickness of limestone, drained by a sough running some 1,700 feet south to Piece End. By the early 20th century the workings were locally known as 'Chatty's Mine'. Silence Mine closed in 1885, at a time when lead prices had fallen to a point where mining across much of the Derbyshire orefield had become unviable. Archaeological excavation of the site took place between 2008 and 2010, led by the Conservation Team under John Barnatt.

Workings

Worked the Hucklow Edge Old Vein to a depth of 328 feet through shale before reaching 198 feet of limestone, drained by a sough running approximately 1,700 feet south to Piece End.

Closure

Closed in 1885 as falling lead prices made much of the Derbyshire orefield unviable.

Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.

Recorded claims

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

• Benjamin Ashton and his partners obtained mining rights to Silence Mine from the Countess of Bellamont in 1713; after her death the following year the manor passed to Charles Cokayne, Viscount Cullen, and a dispute over the mining rights turned violent in 1738, with 30-40 men defending the mine day and night against the sheriff's own officers. ¹
• The dispute was resolved by Articles of Agreement signed in 1749, under which Viscount Cullen retained a 1/12th share of the ore while Ashton's partners kept operational control of the mine. ¹
• Silence Mine closed in 1885 as falling lead prices made much of the Derbyshire orefield unviable; archaeological excavation of the site took place between 2008 and 2010, led by the Conservation Team under John Barnatt. ^1,2

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.

Sources

1. (secondary) Silence Mine, Great Hucklow — Peak District Mines Historical Society
2. (secondary) Notes on Silence Mine by Nellie Kirkham — Peak District Mines Historical Society (Nellie Kirkham)

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