| ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
 |
Odin Mine
Here is Odin mine, a steep cleft in the rock face. Although this appears to be a natural feature it has actually been an important site for the excavation of lead ore for over 2000 years. When the Romans came here in the first century AD they called the lead ore ‘galena’ because of its shiny appearance. They discovered that the pure metal could be easily worked and so could be put to many uses for example to make pipes for the sophisticated plumbing systems in their houses. Later, the Saxons, gave this mine the name ‘Woden’ after their god of war. The Normans took possession of the mine in order to provide a plentiful supply of lead, which could be used in the construction of cathedrals, churches and houses. Peveril Castle was strategically placed to oversee the lead mining in this area. The lead ore was also much sought after during the Civil War in order to produce lead shot. As the old saying goes ‘Neither side won the war – it was the lead miner who came out the winner because of all the money he made from the lead!’ By the 18th century, lead mining became established as the most important industry in this area. The mine was at its peak production and hundreds of tons of galena were removed every year. 
For over 2000 years Odin Mine has been worked by the people who lived in the Hope Valley. Initially they came with their hammers and their chisels and hacked away at the mineral veins in the limestone rock. Later on they used gunpowder and blew out the galena. Although the lead miner came for this very precious galena in order to extract the lead they also left lots of piles of other minerals, fluorspar, calcite, and barytes which they weren’t interested in at all. It's in more recent times people have discovered how valuable these minerals are, that they have all sorts of uses and that they can be extracted from the heaps left by the lead miner. The rich mineral veins, were deposited when huge forces from beneath the earth’s surface and pushed the rock up into a dome shape around 280 million years ago. Hot gases and liquids welled up from beneath the earth’s surface and formed crystals in the cracks and fissures as the rocks cooled. The crystals formed were of a distinctive shape and colour depending on the mineral from which they were formed. Veins consist usually of a mixture of metallic minerals such as copper and lead, and the minerals formed from barium (barytes) and calcium (fluorspar and calcite). The silvery lead ore, galena or lead sulphide is just one of the minerals deposited. It became a very valuable commodity because of its unique properties - the pure metal being soft and malleable and also impermeable. Also of importance is the decorative mineral fluorspar ‘Blue John’ which has been mined for ornaments and jewellery. So you can see the minerals that were important in past times are just as important today. Life as we know it, our hospitals, homes, schools and roads, even our toothpaste depends on our minerals.
|
|
 |
 |
  |
|
