Where am I? DCC > ALDERLEY EDGE > MINES > DATABASE
There are between one and two hundred mine features on the surface at the Edge ranging from the main entrances to a suspected shaft top. The table below lists these. For more details and a picture (if available), click on the entrance number. Key to 'Form' column: S=shaft, L=level, O=open works. If you don't know the site number, use the search facilities.
Number of entrances listed: 174 of which 8 are multiple entrance mines and 166 are unique entrances.
No | Name | Form | State | Part of (mine) | Note on name |
1 | Doctor's Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
House above (Mimwood?) used to belong to a doctor |
2 | Sphinx Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Shaft into Sphinx Cavern |
3 | Marjorie's Sitting Down Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Name on "Dim Grey King" |
4 | White Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
White deposit running down |
5 | Main Chamber |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
In roof of Main Chamber |
6 | Top Gallery Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Drops into Top Gallery |
7 | Main Entrance |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Says it all |
8 | SW Mine |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Just outside entrance, reached by tunnelling out |
9 | Over West Level |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Level entering over main entrance |
10 | Over West Shaft / Sorensen's Entrance |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | West Mine (164) |
Shaft into ditto, Sorensen's entrance |
11 | Fireman's Entrance |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | West Mine (164) |
Way that Firemen used to go in, and fall down hole in floor |
12 | Block End |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | - (12) |
Short tunnel, also known as "powder store" |
13 | New Venture I Level |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | - (13) |
OLD NAME - buried in gorge |
14 | New Venture I Shaft |
Shaft | Location unknown | New Venture I Level (13) |
- |
15 | New Venture II Level |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | - (15) |
Buried in gorge |
16 | Hough Level West Entrance |
Level/adit | Location unknown | Hough Level (170) |
Entrance at works. No surface evidence and no access from below. |
17 | Scout Hole |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | - (17) |
On scout camp |
18 | Wood Mine Adit manhole |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
Wood Mine is a fairly old name |
19 | Garner's Grope Shaft |
Shaft | Open - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Found by A Garner with stick |
20 | Graffiti Chamber |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Wood Mine (163) |
- |
21 | North End Chamber or Timber Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
In N End Chamber. Timber because there used to be trees in it. |
22 | Deep Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
Big shaft dropping to bottom of the mine |
23 | Squeedle Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
Was a tight entrance (squeedle) at one time |
24 | Rabbit Cavern |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
Shaft from field into Rabbit Caverns. Appears to have been filled early to restore field to agricultural use. |
25 | Temple Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Wood Mine (163) |
The Temple was the timber structure built by DCC to stop the shaft running. The shaft was dug after collapsing through seepage of water from pond above (still shown on OS maps). |
26 | Pillar & Post |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Wood Mine (163) |
There is a rock pillar and a wooden post |
27 | Stump Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Hough Level (170) |
Had tree stump in it. May have been collapse on fault or used during early development of mining at junction. |
28 | Hough Covered Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Hough Level (170) |
Covered with stone slabs. Shaft was probably used for driving Hough Level and then not required for ventilation or haulage. |
29 | Field Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Hough Level (170) |
In middle of field. Dug out and capped by DCC. |
30 | Lost Adit |
Level/adit | Capped - accessible below | - (30) |
- |
31 | Cross Mine Level |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (31) |
Cross shaped |
32 | Straight Mine |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (32) |
Its straight |
33 | Brynlow Adit |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Brynlow Mine (165) |
- |
34 | Car Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Brynlow Adit (33) |
Named because car had been dumped in it |
35 | Finlow Hill Mine |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | - (35) |
In Finlow Wood |
36 | Church Quarry Mine |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (36) |
Probably a quarry trial level |
37 | Reeking Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Reeking Mine (59) |
See Reeking Mine (59) |
38 | Well Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | - (38) |
Named from Wizard Restaurant well |
39 | Beacon Lodge Level |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | - (39) |
- |
40 | Beacon Lodge Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Beacon Lodge Level (39) |
- |
41 | Bear Shaft / Pit |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Etymology unknown. Possibly due to appearance in mine during 1950s when it was open but blocked at bottom |
42 | Engine Vein |
Multi-entrance mine | Locked - accessible | - (42) |
OLD NAME |
43 | Engine Trial |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (43) |
Small trial just south of Engine Vein proper |
44 | Engine Vein Side Entrance |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Current adit |
45 | Windmill Wood Shaft 3 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - (45) |
Shaft ring and depression |
46 | Trial |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (46) |
- |
47 | Square Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Hough Level (170) |
Not quite square but much squarer than anything else we had seen |
48 | Round Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
OLD NAME |
49 | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Hough Level (170) |
From The Hough, the valley into which it emerges |
50 | Pillar Mine |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | - (50) |
OLD NAME, also known as CCH |
51 | Abbadine's Level |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | - (51) |
This name has been adopted although the validity is very doubtful. The inference is that the level is the one from Pillar Mine to Square Shaft. |
52 | Doc Mine |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (52) |
Named after Doc Mycroft, a caver of the 60's. Also known as Chocolate Mine |
53 | Doc Mine Lower |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Doc Mine (52) |
See Doc Mine (52) |
54 | Rock Shelter/Iron Gates |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (54) |
Also known as Wizard's Cave Mine and Iron Gates |
55 | Devil's Grave |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | - (55) |
Etymology unknown |
56 | Rock Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | - (56) |
Used to have a large rock on top |
57 | Rock Shaft Level |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | Rock Shaft (56) |
Linked to Rock Shaft |
58 | Twin Shafts (N) Artemis |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Reeking Mine (59) |
Physical description |
59 | Reeking Mine |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | - (59) |
Our name because there was a bad smell from the rotting vegetation in the level |
60 | Saddlebole Main |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Main entrance |
61 | Saddlebole Side 1 |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Side entrance joins main |
62 | Saddlebole Tunnel 1 |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
"Tunnel" on top of hill |
63 | Saddlebole Tunnel 2 |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
"Tunnel" on top of hill |
64 | Holy Well Level |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (64) |
Level beside Holy Well |
65 | Windmill Wood Shaft 4 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - (65) |
Shaft ring and depression |
66 | North Mine |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | - (66) |
OLD NAME. Existence questionable |
67 | South Mine |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | - (67) |
OLD NAME Existence questionable |
68 | New Venture II Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | New Venture II Level (15) |
- |
69 | Cross Mine Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Cross Mine Level (31) |
Depression on surface and signs of infill underground. Cross Mine does not appear to extend beyond this shaft. |
70 | Hough End Shaft |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Hough Level (170) |
Shaft near end of Hough, may have been ventilation |
71 | Hough Cross Roads south entrance |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Hough Level (170) |
Rising to chamber infilled with rocks and sand. |
72 | Saddlebole Level 1 |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Evident but blocked |
73 | Saddlebole Level 2 |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Evident but blocked |
74 | Saddlebole Level 3 |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Evident but blocked |
75 | Saddlebole Side 2 |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Lower level joins main |
76 | West End Shaft No 1 = New Year Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Goes into the West End series |
77 | Holy Well - Near Trial |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | - (77) |
Short tunnel reexcavated near Holy Well. NGR needs checking. |
78 | Wizard's Well Level |
Level/adit | Location unknown | - (78) |
By Wizard's Well, location unknown |
79 | Quarry Opencast |
Opencast | Known, filled to surface | - (79) |
- |
80 | Canyon Opencast |
Opencast | Open - accessible | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Descriptive |
81 | Side Entrance |
Level/adit | Unlocated - accessible below | Main Entrance (7) |
Just to side of main entrance |
82 | First Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | West Mine (164) |
Filled shaft inside main entrance |
83 | Ring Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Concrete ring used |
84 | Sand Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Hough Level (170) |
Sand ran into this shaft. Developed on fault as collapse on passage leading to Probationers' Series. |
85 | Field Opencast |
Opencast | Known, filled to surface | - (85) |
Kidney-shaped depression in Brinlow Field. NGR is rough centre of opencast. |
86 | Cromlech Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
Closed at passage roof level with timbers. Name given because of boulder pile at foot which may have been intended for support but does not reach roof. |
87 | Christmas Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
Has been opened by DCC then closed. Dug out at Christmas 1981. |
88 | Greenhat Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
Has been opened by DCC then closed Dug out in 1981 by John (Greenhat) Dolan. Air shaft shown on 19th century OS map. NGR approximate. |
89 | Brynlow Roadside Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Brynlow Mine (165) |
Main shaft on same side of road as mine |
90 | Brynlow Other Road Side Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Brynlow Mine (165) |
Smaller shaft on other side of road, hence name |
91 | Brynlow Norweb Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Brynlow Mine (165) |
Originally this shaft was unlocated and the top could not be seen clearly from below in the mine. The name Norweb derives from when Norweb contractors exposed the shaft |
92 | No 2 Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Counting from track |
93 | Tom's Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Under visitors' centre, literally |
94 | Holly [Root] Shaft / Hole |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Had a holly tree growing in it |
95 | Car Park Entrance |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Main entrance at corner of Wizard Restaurant car park |
96 | Finlow Hill Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Finlow Hill Mine (35) |
In Finlow Wood |
97 | Balloon Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Balloon used to measure height |
98 | Engine Vein - Plan B Shaft (No 4) |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Engine Vein (42) |
Was not original intention to dig this shaft, then it ran so we changed plans, hence Plan B |
99 | Engine Vein - Pot Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Roman Pot |
100 | No 3 Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Counting from track |
101 | Engine Vein Top Level Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
Onto top level |
102 | Bradford Lane Shaft |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - (102) |
Corner of Bradford Lane on line of Cobalt Mine to Finlow Hill |
103 | Brynlow End Entrance / Trembling Den |
Level/adit | Locked - accessible | Brynlow Mine (165) |
End of fault, below Car Shaft. |
104 | North Engine Vein Level |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | - (104) |
Dewey and Eastwood refer to this level north of EV |
105 | Alderley Cottage Adit |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (105) |
- |
106 | Hagg Opencast |
Opencast | Known, filled to surface | Wood Mine (163) |
Filled in in the 1960s. Named after Hagg. Also connects with shaft at end of adit |
107 | Silver Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - (107) |
Just to north of path from OpenCast to Goldenstone |
108 | Pine Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - (108) |
North of path from OpenCast to Goldenstone nr. Stormy Point track |
109 | No 1 Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Engine Vein (42) |
Most easterly entrance to mine |
110 | West End Shaft No 2 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Engine Vein (42) |
End of West End Extension |
111 | Hough Cross Roads north entrance |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Field Opencast (85) |
Rising hand picked passage to Opencast. |
112 | End of Hough Branch |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) (49) |
Southern most point in Hough. Appears to be filled from surface. Coincides with a rectangular mark on 1907 OS map and also with some disturbance on the surface. |
113 | 18-Acre Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | West Mine (164) |
Main entrance |
114 | Field Shaft ore chute |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
Ore chute dropping into bottom of Field Shaft. Treated as separate feature as old plans show a shaft off the Hough Level. |
115 | Opencast ore chute |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Field Opencast (85) |
Ore chute dropping into branch off Hough Level. |
116 | Opencast to Probationers west |
Opencast | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
Blockage in Probationers' Series. End of passage in rubble. Appears to break into main Field Opencast. |
117 | Opencast to Probationers east |
Opencast | Known but blocked - accessible | Field Opencast (85) |
End of passage in rubble. |
118 | Pine Adit |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | Pine Shaft (108) |
North of path from OpenCast to Goldenstone nr. Stormy Point track |
119 | Field Boundary Shaft |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) (49) |
Last accessible blockage on Hough Level towards works. |
120 | none |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) (49) |
Depression in field between Cross Mine and Field Shaft. NGR approximate. |
121 | none |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) (49) |
Fenced depression in field near Field Shaft, south of Hough Level. NGR approximate. |
122 | none |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Field Opencast (85) |
- |
123 | none |
Shaft | Unlocated - accessible below | Hough Level (Stormy Point entrance) (49) |
Shaft on West end of Hough Level. NGR approximate. |
124 | Stormy Point Shaft |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - (124) |
- |
125 | Saddlebole Lower Level |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Saddlebole Mines (169) |
Suspected level lower down Saddlebole |
126 | Shelter above Doc Mine |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - () |
Appears to be working on fault |
127 | Pit |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - () |
Depression may be shaft |
128 | Shaft |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - () |
Depression may be shaft |
129 | Shelter |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - () |
Small shelter under overhang |
130 | Shaft |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - () |
Depression may be shaft |
131 | Trial |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - () |
Short tunnel |
132 | Shaft |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - () |
Depression may be shaft |
133 | Shaft 1 nr path to Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring NGR needs checking |
134 | Shaft 2 nr path to Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring NGR needs checking |
135 | Doc Mine Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Doc Mine (52) |
Shaft with manhole lid over lower Doc Mine |
136 | Possible Level below Holy Well |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Indentation in hill with spoil heap below |
137 | Shaft 1 west of Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring |
138 | Shaft 2 west of Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring |
139 | Shaft 3 west of Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring |
140 | Shaft 1 east of Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring |
141 | Shaft 2 east of Canyon Opencast |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) (168) |
Large Shaft ring |
142 | Cow Lane Shaft 1 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - (142) |
Shaft ring and depression |
143 | Cow Lane Shaft 2 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Shaft ring and depression |
144 | Cow Lane Shaft 3 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Shaft ring and depression |
145 | Cow Lane Shaft 4 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Shaft ring and depression |
146 | Cobalt N Shaft 1 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
147 | Cobalt N Shaft 2 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
148 | Cobalt N Shaft 3 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
149 | Cobalt N Shaft 4 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
150 | Cobalt N Shaft 5 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
151 | Cobalt N Shaft 6 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
152 | Cobalt N Shaft 7 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Shaft ring and depression |
153 | Windmill Wood Shaft 1 |
Shaft | Known, filled to surface | - (153) |
Shaft ring and depression |
154 | Windmill Wood Shaft 2 |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Shaft ring and depression |
155 | Wood Mine possible adit |
Level/adit | Known, filled to surface | Wood Mine (163) |
Possible tunnel above Wood Mine adit |
156 | Shaft in Windmill Wood |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Possible shaft top |
157 | Shaft in Windmill Wood |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Possible shaft top |
158 | Wood Mine Adit |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Wood Mine (163) |
Wood Mine is a fairly old name |
159 | Subsidence |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
Believed more likely to be linked with drains |
160 | Subsidence |
Shaft | Known but blocked - accessible | - () |
- |
161 | Ed's Tunnel |
Level/adit | Known but blocked - accessible | - (161) |
Opened 20/2/2012 |
162 | Cobalt Mine - Trackside Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Side of track |
163 | Wood Mine |
Multi-entrance mine | Locked - accessible | - (163) |
Modern name because mine located in Windmill Wood. It might have been called the "Windmill" in historic times and was part of the "Eastern Mine". |
164 | West Mine |
Multi-entrance mine | Locked - accessible | - (164) |
Probably was called Western Mine during working period. Name derives from location on the Edge. |
165 | Brynlow Mine |
Multi-entrance mine | Not known | - (165) |
Locality name |
166 | Twin Shaft level (upper) |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | Reeking Mine (59) |
Physical description |
167 | Cobalt Mine |
Multi-entrance mine | Locked - accessible | - () |
Cobalt is believed to have been mined here. |
168 | Canyon Mine (hypothetical) |
Multi-entrance mine | Known, filled to surface | - (168) |
The Canyon Opencast was named by the DCC as a descriptive name. Canyon mine is believed to run underneath the Opencast and beyond it north west and south east. |
169 | Saddlebole Mines |
Multi-entrance mine | Known but blocked - accessible | - (169) |
- |
170 | Hough Level |
Multi-entrance mine | Locked - accessible | - (170) |
- |
171 | Lockdown Shaft |
Shaft | Locked - accessible | Cobalt Mine (167) |
Name of field on tithe map. |
173 | Cobalt Mine: North Shaft |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Cobalt Mine (167) |
- |
174 | Twin Shaft (S) Apollo |
Shaft | Capped - accessible below | Reeking Mine (59) |
- |
175 | Twin Shaft level (lower) |
Level/adit | Open - accessible | - (175) |
- |