Goodluck Mine

Useful Information

Location:	Via Gellia, soutwest of Matlock Bath, between Cromford and Grangemill on A5012. (53.105212, -1.598547)
Open:	First Sunday of every month. After appointment. [2021]
Fee:	free, donations welcome. [2021]
Classification:	Lead Mine
Light:	Safety helmets and electric hand-lamps provided.
Dimension:
Guided tours:	L=400 m, D=105 min.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Ron Amner, Peter Naylor (): Goodluck Mine 180 yrs of History, Goodluck Mine Conservation Club.
Address:	Goodluck Mine, Secretary D.Barrie, 21 Hawthorn Road, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1ES, Tel: +44-7808326469, Fax 01216822402. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

25-OCT-1830	Goodluck Adit started.
1840	mine mostly exhausted.
1872-1882	another seam discovered and mined, also baryte, fluorite, and copper minerals azurite and malachite mined.
1920s	spoil dumps re-processed.
1952	mine closed.
1972	collapsed entrance reopened by Ron Amner and friends.

Geology

The Via Gellia is a dry valley, a typical feature of a karst area, where the former river now drains underground through caves. Nevertheless, this place is not a cave, but a mine. The limestone is full of lead bearing veins, which are the result of hydrothermal activity caused by volcanism. Another remains of the volcanism are layers of basalt, cooled lava flows covering the limestone called the Lower Matlock Lava Bed. Tha basalt is impermeable, the groundwater is not able to flow into the limestone except where the valley cut through the basalt and where the miners dug shafts through.

The ore bearing veins consist of the Goodluck Vein and various smaller veins running parallel and other smaller veins and scrins intersecting them in a north-west to south-east direction. The secondary veins are probably a result of the Gulph Fault, which has displacement of 176 m, and is easily visible various times in the mine. One part of the fault is a large open natural rift, partly filled with decomposed basalt from the Matlock Lava bed above. The mineralisation within the veins consists mainly of galena, but also barytes, calcite, and - at the north-easterly end - some fluorspar. Among the numerous minerals identified at the Goodluck Mine are aurichalcite (ZnCu)₅((OH)₃CO₃)₂, azurite Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂, barytes BaSO₄, calcite CaCO₃, fluorite CaF₂, galena PbS, iron pyrites FeS₂, limonite FeOOH, malachite Cu₂CO₃ 2H₂O, selenite CaSO₄2H₂O, wad MnO₂ nH₂O.

Description

Goodluck Mine is a typical 19th century Derbyshire lead mine. It is located in a dry valley of the Peak District karst area. The dry valley is named Via Gellia after the road which was built through in 1790. And the road was named after Phillip Eyre Gell, who was responsible for building the road. The Gells claimed Roman descent, which may be a reason why the name of the road was latinized. The road was built to connect the lead-mines of the Gell family around Wirksworth with a new smelter at Cromford. At this time the route had probably already been used for 70 years. Today the route is still frequented by heavy lorries but also by weekenders, especially motorcyclists, who enjoy the narrow curves. It got the reputation to be a dangerous road due to its high casualty rate.

The mine is located at the southern side of the valley, there is only one layby at the road, which is the starting point to the mine. The mine is operated by a group of enthusiasts and opened only on special open days. The tour is rather rough, as there is no electric light. Visitors are advised to bring old clothes or an overall and clean clothes to change afterwards. Rubber boots, helmets, lamps, gloves are also helpfull. If one or the other piece of equipment is missing, the guides may help out.

There are veins in the Matlock limestone above the basalt layer, which were first mined. Later the miners crossed the basalt and started to mine below. This tunnel was both, an adit to drain the mine and a search tunnel to find the veins below the basalt.