The Museum
Visit a museum where you can experience and wonder at the forgotten world of a Derbyshire lead miner. For centuries, men have toiled underground in cramped and hazardous conditions to earn a meagre living by extracting the mineral galena (lead ore).
See the tools they used, clothes they wore, the advances in technology and the importance of this metal in our modern day lives.
Crawl and climb through a maze of twisted tunnels and shafts to feel for yourself the cramped conditions of a Derbyshire lead miner. Read about the strange and ancient laws that controlled the miner's and marvel at a history dating back over 2000 years to Roman times.
Experience all this for yourself and enjoy a look into an industry that did much to shape the landscape and prosperity of Derbyshire and its notable families.
At the Museum:
Climbing shafts (for the young at heart)
Hazard tunnel (if you dare)
Rag and chain pump
Working models
Slide show
Rocks and minerals (including the Howie collection)
Informative displays.
Below are some photographs taken during the early years of the museum. You will notice many significant changes made to the displays in the museum and some of the items in the photographs below are still on display today.