PARWICH.ORG

Thank you to Martin C for sending in this post.

I have just been down Ecton Copper Mine (near Hartington), on a trip organized by Alison from Parwich, for the Open University Geological Society.  Ecton was a very profitable mine in the 18th century, and the then owner, the Duke of Devonshire, used the profits to build the Buxton Crescent and the Stable block (Old Hospital).  We descended into Ecton Hill via 6 steep ladders into a maze of passageways and explored the deep mine just with torchlight.  It was a fascinating experience to witness the conditions in which our 18thcentury forebears had to work in – working several hundred feet down in damp conditions, with only a single candle for illumination. The mine is now run by Ecton Mine Educational Trust.  Further photos about the mine can be seen on the Peak District Mines Historical Society website and here.