Click on the time bar or scroll
down the table of dates.
| HISTORY TO 1926 |
| c. 1900 BC |
Dating of charcoal
found in smelting pit at Engine Vein. |
| 1750?50 BC |
Age (by carbon dating)
of wooden shovel found at Brynlow and of smelting site
at Engine Vein. |
| c. 75 AD |
Carbon dating of
timber in Roman shaft at Engine Vein |
| 300 - 320 |
Age of coins found at
Engine Vein in Roman hoard |
| 1598 |
Reference to
"myne holes" in parish boundary walk. |
| (1688/92 |
Repeal of Mines Royal
Act) |
| 1693 |
Mr Legh of Ridge |
| 1696 |
Mr Crosse and others.
Dispute with Mr Legh |
| 1700 -1710 |
Area may have been
mined by Mr Abbadine |
| 1758 -1768 |
Charles Roe and
Macclesfield Copper Company |
| 1770s? |
Mr Whitfield and Mr
Heaton prospecting |
| 1780s |
Mr Patten from
Warrington. Wizard Restaurant built, known at the time
as "Miners Arms". |
| 1791 |
Mines were working for
copper and lead, possibly by Roe & Co |
| 1804 |
Exploration by James
Ashton |
| 1805 |
Lease (1/1/1805) to
Ashton and others for 14 years (Alderley Mine Company) |
| 1806 |
Cobalt recognised at
Alderley |
| 1807 |
Steam powered crusher
in Windmill Wood |
| 1808 |
Agreement to sell
cobalt to a Yorkshire pottery |
| 1809 |
Experiments with
cobalt ore in Wallasey |
| 1810 -1811 |
Alderley Mining
Company dissolved |
| 1857 |
Area investigated by
James Michell |
| 1858 |
Lease taken out
(12/4/58), opencast mining at West Mine |
| 1859 |
Alderley Edge Mining
Company Limited incorporated (13/8/59) |
| 1861 |
Visit by British
Association |
| 1862 |
Michell killed by fall
in mine in November |
| 1863 |
West Mine crossing
"Great Slide" |
| 1864 |
Possible opening of
Wood Mine |
| 1865 |
Visit by Japanese and
Stanley family |
| 1866 |
"GL" marked
initials in Brynlow |
| 1869 |
Richer ore being
worked |
| 1870 |
Substantial drop in
output |
| (1872 |
Metalliferous Mines
Regulation Act 1872) |
| 1873 |
Drop in quality of ore |
| 1874 |
Working in Field area,
Boyd Dawkins visit, wooden shovel found |
| 1877 |
Boiler explosion and
mine closed |
| 1878 |
Sale of effects and
Company wound up (24/5/78) |
| 1911-1912 |
Alderley Mining
Company Ltd operating |
| 1914-1915 |
Allan Gibb (300 tons
of ore, 35 tons of precipitate) |
| 1916-1917 |
Only one Caretaker at
mines |
| 1918-1919 |
Alderley Copper
Company Ltd operating |
| 1926 |
Sale of effects - END
OF MINING |
| HISTORY 1926 TO PRESENT |
| 1929 |
Loss of two men in
West Mine |
| 1933 |
Popular area for
juveniles, death of Evans |
| 1940 |
Plan to make air-raid
shelter in West Mine |
| 1951 |
Cavers visit the
mines. Article in British Spelaeological Association
Journal |
| 1955 |
Talk of restarting
mining at West Mine |
| 1957 |
"Teddy Boys"
becoming major problem. Engine Vein side entrance
blocked. |
| 1957 |
Wood Mine Quarry
filled in. |
| 1960+ |
Wood Mine shafts
filled. Wood Mine entrance filled. |
| 1964 |
Wood Mine adit
entrance blasted in |
| 1969 |
Wood Mine reopened |
| 1975 |
West Mine reopened |
| 1980 |
Hough Level explored
from Stump Shaft |
| 1981 |
Engine Vein capped |
| 1982 |
Brynlow Mine reopened |
| 1985 |
Square Shaft cleared |
| 1986 |
Hough Level reopened
at Dickens Wood |
| 1988 |
Bear Pit cleared,
Temple Shaft cleared |
| 1990 |
Wood Mine Adit
reopened properly |
| 1992 |
Hough Level cleared to
Engine Vein |
| 1994 |
Wooden shovel dated |
| 1995 |
Roman coin hoard found |
| 1997 |
Pot Shaft dug
archaeologically during AELP |
| 1999 |
Saddlebole dug
archaeologically |
| 2000 |
Extensions in Engine
Vein. DCC website set up |
| 2001 |
Part of the Edge
scheduled as an ancient monument |
| 2003 |
Educational
website published by AELPHER |
| 2005 |
Archaeological book published. AELP wrapped up with talks and
walks. |
| 2007 |
General book due to be published. |
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