OPEN DAY to examine THE PROPOSED HERITAGE CENTRE at ROCK MILL STONEY MIDDLETON

1.56.00pm GMT Wed 20th Jan 2010

Rock Mill today

Colin and David Hall with the support of Stoney Middleton Parish Council invite you to an OPEN DAY at Stoney Middleton School on Saturday 30th January 2010 from 10.00am to 6.00pm. Come and have your say about the proposed development at ROCK MILL BUSINESS PARK Stoney Middleton.

Proposals Include:

· Heritage Centre

· Affordable Housing (register your name)

· New Commercial Space

· Community Room

EVERYONE WELCOME - Your opinion will make a difference!

Read all about it!!

1. INTRODUCTION

This proposal is made jointly by Colin and David Hall.

The Entrance to Rock Mill

We have owned the Rock Mill site at Stoney Middleton for 30 years and have conducted business continually. Initially we operated Hallcraft Interiors a business manufacturing and installing kitchen and bedroom fitted furniture. This business continued for 12 years until the prevailing economy and the introduction of DIY furniture from B&Q type stores made it uneconomical.

The Dale

The building was altered to accommodate other businesses requiring space to rent and was for some time relatively successful. Latterly the building has not been fully occupied and no longer has the desirability it once had.

We have given long and in depth consideration to the long term future of the site. The current trend could be viewed as a downward spiral which is likely to lead to an ever aging and deteriorating site. The longer the trend continues the harder it would be to make changes.

We believe that a total redevelopment of high quality mixed use is required to achieve a profitable long term solution. It is proposed that the site has a mix of affordable and open market housing as well as high quality commercial uses. The inclusion of a heritage centre would help the viability of the scheme as well as providing additional employment, tourism, accommodation, visitor attraction, historical preservation and further revenue for local businesses as well as a general uplift to Stoney Middleton in general.

2. THE SITE

The site currently occupied by Rock Mill Business Park is uniquely located. Various industrial and historical activities have been undertaken on the site for hundreds of years. Barytes extraction was the last historical industrial activity here. The site is the exact location of a rare lead smelting cupola and until recently the remains of the original water wheel which powered the furnace was visible.

People who have only driven through the village may describe Stoney Middleton as a quiet and peaceful place of little interest. For those that have taken the time to explore the back streets and history of this fascinating old village a different view will prevail.

Cliffs for rock climbing

The A623 from Chesterfield to Chapel-en-le-Frith divides the village in half, with the houses clinging to the hillside where any space can be found. On the western side of the village, the cliffs rise almost vertically and this is where aspiring mountaineers come to test their skills. Further to the east, the land begins to flatten out a little, but Stoney Middleton must have one of the steepest High Streets in the country. This was the route through the village before the present road along Middleton Dale was opened in 1840.

The A623 at Rock Mill

The village has a wide and varied industrial heritage being involved in lead mining, lead smelting, lime production, barytes extraction, quarrying, boot manufacturing, candle making, besom (brush) making, mineral extraction as well as being the location for Roman baths and a prisoner of war camp.

The Dale became a major centre for Peak District rock climbers in the 1960s and 1970s mainly developed by people like Jack Street, Geoff Birtles and Tom Proctor who in 1968 established one of the hardest climbs in the world at that time "Our Father" on Windy Buttress.

The Lover's Leap cafe was for many years a wet weather retreat and refuelling stop for cyclists, cavers and climbers. Stoney Middleton is a magnet for walkers, climbers and potholers alike.

The site is situated on the outskirts of the village on a good straight stretch of road. It has ample room to locate a heritage centre without any inconvenience to the village. There will be large numbers of passing tourists due to its location on the main Stockport to Chesterfield road, close to many other Peak District attractions like Eyam, Bakewell, Castleton and Chatsworth House, all minutes away.

3. STONEY MIDDLETON

"The forgotten village, a story waiting to be told"

The origins of the name of the village go back to the Saxo-Norman period when it was known as Middletone or Middletune, the name Stoney Middleton literally meaning Stoney Middle Farm and was mentioned in 1086 in the Domesday book.

The face that the village presents to the motorist on the A623 is shadowed by deep-cut cliffs and shrouded by trees and dense vegetation hiding the true charm and character.

It has an industrial face, pock-marked by mining, mostly for lead, which is what brought the Romans here two thousand years ago, - and which also accounted for the village`s relative prosperity during the 18th and 19th centuries, when at one time it had up to twelve public houses! Today it has only one, The Moon. Most of the mining is done by Laporte Industries who have a large complex less than a mile away to the south west.

However, the face presented to the walker away from the traffic of the main road has a very pleasing aspect, and in complete contrast, is a haven of rural tranquility and filled with pretty features.

A large stone cross dated 1846 and commemorating the repeal of the corn laws stands sentinel alongside the main road at it's junction with one of the steepest High Streets in the land!

4 POTENTIAL EXHIBITS

Lead Mining

Lead was the most important and valuable resource of the Peak District for centuries. The Romans worked it; however the first workings may well have been even earlier. Mining continued for many centuries and by the mid-19th century little mines worked by one or two men were no longer profitable, the last big mine was worked until 1940.

Castle Rock

Working conditions in a lead mine could be very unpleasant, particularly in wet seasons. As mines were dug deeper flooding became a problem, so soughs

(drainage tunnels) were dug and pumps used to take the water away.

The lead mining industry began amongst the miners' veins of the limestone outcrops to the south and west of the village. The mines were numerous and small because the size of the veins were generally small. They were manned by individuals or small groups of miners, and on the surface the wives dressed the ore and looked after their children, or at least all the children aged six and above. The skills of quarrying and lead mining are closely related, a fact verified by the quality of the masonry found in the old lead mines and the drainage levels for these mines. Lead ore only occurs in the limestone measures. To the north of the village the Carboniferous Limestone dips below the sh ales and the thick sandstone which forms the Edge. It was here in the early eighteenth century that the miners sought the possibility of a large vein, which they found and worked six hundred feet below the surface.

Lime Burning

The whole industry was controlled by its own laws and had a special court, the "Barmote Court" to administer the law. It is thought to be the oldest industrial court in the country.

Once out of the ground the lead ore, called galena, had to be cleaned and broken up ready to be smelted in a furnace in order to extract the metal. This was probably more dangerous than the actual mining as the fumes were very poisonous.

The refined lead was poured into moulds and once cool the solid "pigs" of lead were ready for all sorts of uses: on roofs, for piping, to make pewter dishes, or to hold the pieces of coloured glass in a fine church window.

Lime Smelting

The main mines at Stoney Middleton had strange names such as Brandy Bottle, Cackle Mackle, however there were numerous other smaller workings. Another mine called Sallet Hole Mine, has an impressive entrance and was once one of the biggest fluorspar and lead mines in the area. The remains of old spoil heaps lie all around the entrance.

The last mine in Derbyshire closed in 1939. Since this time many of the old lead mines and waste tips have been reworked.

Lead Smelting

Early methods of separating the lead from the waste products were primitive. Smelting took place on hilltops facing into the prevailing westerly winds which provided the draught for the fire. It involved building what was essentially a large bonfire on top of the hill, using alternating layers of wood and ore. It worked because lead has a relatively low melting point but it was very inefficient and used large quantities of wood. (The picture opposite shows the rock formation opposite the Rock Mill site known as "the chimney")

Smelting usually took place in the spring when several days of strong wind could be relied upon. Ore and fuel was stockpiled and the process would last until the wind died down or the supplies of timber and ore were exhausted. As the lead melted, it was collected at the base of the fire and channelled into moulds called pigs.

These hilltop hearths were known as boles and their sites live on in the place-name Bole Hill. Boles had become obsolete by the end of the 16th century because of a new technological development, the ore hearth.

The ore hearth was similar to a blacksmith's forge but here the draught was provided by bellows powered by a waterwheel. The smelting sites therefore transferred from the hilltops to the river valleys. These hearths were much more efficient. (They were about 55% efficient.) In fact it became economic to reprocess the slag which had been produced by the boles, and recover more lead as well as smelting new ore.

Hearths still relied on wood as fuel, but it was now specially prepared for the purpose and was known as white coal. The timber was chopped up into small chips and dried over a fire before use. White coal was produced in woodlands which were specially managed for the purpose.

The final technological development was the cupola or reverberatory furnace. The reverberatory furnace was first introduced into Derbyshire by the London Lead Company in the mid 1730's.

This method of smelting required the mixture to be constantly stirred by the smelters, who consequently worked in an atmosphere of poisonous fumes. A man employed as a lead smelter usually had a relatively short life.

In 1747 the Quakers from Wales introduced cupolas for smelting lead in Derbyshire. Two of these were to be found in Stoney Middleton. One owned by the Duke of Devonshire found work for poor miners, and the other belonged to John Barker, Esq., which were situated in Middleton Dale. In the latter half of the 18th century, the existing smelt mill at Barbrook was modernised by the erection of a cupola, as was the communal Lord's smelt mill in Middleton Dale. A second cupola, Storrs Cupola, was built at Stoney Middleton around 1777.

Three mine-owning brothers from Middleton also built a cupola below Eden Tree at Bradwell. Of three others at Bradwell, that known as the Slag Works, at the bottom of the Dale, was the site of a tragedy in 1854 when sulphurous fumes caused the deaths of two workmen and two young men who had gone to their rescue. Dilapidated remains of the 360-foot arched flue of the Slag Works can still be traced running parallel to the road.

Under the rounded dome of a cupola, ore and fuel (generally coal) were kept separate and a strong draught - provided by means of a flue and tall chimney - caused the flames to reverberate from the roof and hearth, blasting them over the ore and so melting the lead. The liquid metal ran into a pot and the slag was raked out. Not only was the cupola far more efficient than the bole but its design meant that poisonous vapours were cooled and condensed in the flue as they were drawn towards the chimney. Open smelting used to leave the surrounding land so toxic that it could never be grazed again. As recently as 1966 a number of cows died from lead poisoning due to seepage and disturbance of old slag heaps at a farm at Hope.

We believe the above picture is the cupola situated at the site at Stoney Middleton.

Lime production

The process of lime burning has a long history in the White Peak, where the necessary raw material, limestone, occurs in great abundance. The end product, lime or quicklime, has many applications; it was used in plaster work by the Egyptians about four thousand years ago, whilst the Greeks and Romans used lime in making cement and mortar. This latter use was recognised in a Roman bath which came to light at Buxton many years ago. For hundreds of years lime has been of enormous importance in agriculture, where it is used to improve sour soils.

Constructed of stone, a kiln was fuelled with wood, peat and furze and filled from the top with alternate layers of fuel and broken limestone. The kiln was lit through an opening at its base, starting the burning process which reduces stone to lime. After a burning period of five to ten days, followed by a couple of days' cooling, lime was drawn out from the bottom of the kiln.

From the late 18th century Stoney Middleton had a deserved reputation as an unhealthy place, lying as it did under a constant pall of acrid smoke from large-scale lime burning activities. Cart-loads of coal were brought in from Sheffield and Chesterfield, returning with processed lime.

Barytes (Barium sulphate Ba SO4)

Heavy spar or caulk, as the lead miners called it, certainly does feel heavy if you hold a specimen. It is reclaimed from lead mine waste and now it has so many uses that modern underground mining for barytes continues.

Barytes is able to absorb radiation so it is now valued as a radiation shield in nuclear power stations. It is also used in hospitals for X-rays of the stomach and intestines. The patient drinks a "barium meal" of barium sulphate. The X-ray then shows up the flesh against the opaque background of the barium and any abnormal growths can be seen.

Large quantities of barytes are mixed with clay to make "drilling mud" in the North Sea oil industry. Because the powdered barytes is soft and heavy it lubricates the drills and causes the lighter rock particles to rise above it towards the surface.

Other uses include acting as filler in the manufacture of glossy paper, and card like playing cards. It goes into foam, rubber products and plastics and paints such as rust resistant primers and undercoats.

Barytes was extracted on the site at Stoney Middleton for many years. It used the water wheel for power to drive the wheels to grind the stone. Once extracted it was transported to various locations including Manchester for shipping abroad. Our father remembers this work being undertaken which dates these workings as still operative in the early 1900's.

Quarrying

Limestone has been quarried since the Roman times for building stone and mortar. With the expansion of the demand for limestone, which took up a lot of the slack left by the demise of lead mining, it was necessary to quarry within the Middleton Dale itself. This quarrying is still an industry today.

In the 19th century there were numerous small quarries extracting limestone in Middleton Dale. Each had its own lime kiln. By the 1920s there were about a dozen quarries in the Dale and Eyam area with the lime kilns no longer in use. The modern quarries have destroyed most of the lime kilns, leaving just two partial kilns. One of the quarries was bombed by two ME 110 during WWII, both of which were later shot down.

Stoney Middleton and Eyam have shared the primary industries for the simple reason that the Middleton Dale brook is the dividing line between the two parishes. Many of the people of Eyam found work on the other side of the brook in the parish of Stoney Middleton.

Small communities like Stoney Middleton boomed at the turn of the 20th century as more and more men were employed in an increasingly dangerous occupation.

Quarrying continues and limestone is still essential for all kinds of industrial purposes. Work practices have become much safer, machinery has got bigger, and, most significantly for the Peak, the industry is much less labour intensive so the number of people employed has significantly decreased.

The boom towns have reverted to villages but the industry continues. Stoney Middleton had a number of quarries two of which are in their final days.

Roman Baths

There was an old Roman settlement here in Stoney Middleton, the site of the Roman baths fed by a thermal spring lies behind Middleton Hall, owned by the distinguished judge, Lord Denman. The baths were erected by the late Lord Denman on the site of an ancient bath of supposed Roman origin. The baths have been restored and antiquaries have been able to prove that the Romans had a Bath here at the time that they occupied the station at Brough, Roman coins found in the vicinity of the Baths is an important circumstance.

In the summer of 1814, whilst some workmen were removing the soil from the limestone rock near the place where the road branches out of Middleton Dale to Eyam, they discovered some Roman coins, chiefly copper, but some were covered with a thin silvery coating. They bear an inscription of the Emperor Probus, Gallienus, etc., and of Victorinus (a usurper). It is very probable that these Baths were held in high esteem in the early Church and Middle Ages, and were dedicated like the Church to St. Martin. Short, writing in 1734 in his treatise on "Mineral Waters", says:

"The bath is 8 yards S.W. of the Spring and is enclosed with a wall 4 yards high, 4 yards square, 6 yards every way. The thermometer rose to 6 1-8 ins., and the water comes bubbling up continually with great force as in Buxton. Foreign substances placed in it appear very blue, but white when taken out into the air. Then we have three perpetual warm springs close by the west side of the Churchyard, each of which raised the spirit in the tube to six inches. This water in Frost or Cold Weather is 1-28th part warmer than in Summer. It weighed 50 grains in a pint lighter in Winter than common water. It will keep ten days without smelling. It can be drank more freely and safer than at Buxton, as it is cooler. It has more sulphur in it than Matlock, so it should be beneficial to Rheumatism. These waters may be drank for 14 days without intermission, following a rest of 4, or 5, or even 7 days. Four pints a day is sufficient and not too much. Alcohol should not be taken with it. It is beneficial for any unnatural sharpness and saltness of blood, heartburn, too great heat, contraction of stomach, shortness of breath and stuffiness of the lungs."

In 1980 the bath houses were classified as a "listed building".

Boot Manufacturing

Footwear production was particularly associated with Eyam and Stoney Middleton. Around 1830 the former had nine boot/shoemakers and the latter six, plus one saddler. The Eyam and Stoney Middleton factories were featured in The Shoe and Leather Record of 14 October 1898.

What began as a cottage industry grew into thriving concerns, employing relatives and neighbours working with simple machinery. Production expanded into disused textile factories and purpose-built premises. The majority of employees were women on piecework; women outworkers at Bradwell and Hathersage took in work from the Eyam factories, machining uppers in their homes. Heavy cutting work on the factory floor was carried out by men, originally by hand with a sharp knife. Later on, sole and heel pieces were stamped out by heavy machinery which invariably claimed at least one finger or thumb from every operator, the price of cutting a dozen pieces of leather per minute. Lads as young as 13 spent long monotonous hours inking boot edges - up to 1,000 pairs a day for four shillings (20p) a week.

Girls and women machined the five or six sections of uppers together, often working by the light of candles which they had to pay for themselves. Women grew round-shouldered and developed poor eyesight, while severe breathing problems affected men involved in the final buffing and scouring of leather and brass rivets, when the air was thick with particles of sandpaper, leather and fine brass. Some factories produced ankle strap and bar shoes, others specialised in heavy nailed boots.

By 1910 the two villages shared several wholesale boot, shoe and slipper manufacturers. Stoney Middleton concentrated largely on men's working boots, including army boots during the First World War. Most of the Stoney Middleton firms gradually bowed to big business until only one remained, William Lennon & Company Ltd. This family firm remains in business to this day, the last specialist manufacturer of safety footwear in Britain, the Ruff-Lander brand with its rhinoceros logo continues to uphold the name of the last safety boot factory in Britain, here on our doorstep in Stoney Middleton.

Prisoner of War Camp

A prisoner of war camp was also situated at the bottom of the village which housed Italian prisoners (amongst others). Little more about this has been found; however more research should uncover more information which could be included in the heritage centre

Candle making

Not only do candles have a long history as domestic lighting, but here in the Peak they had extra importance as an essential to the lead mining industry. So it is not surprising that many mining villages had a chandler's workshop.

Knowledge of candle making developed from the earliest known lamps, which consisted of a fibrous wick of some sort, stuck into grease or oil which rose up the wick as fast as it burned away. The early Phoenicians are thought to have progressed into making solid candles by running a thread of yarn through beeswax. The tallow candle is probably Roman in origin and utilised the harder types of animal fat, although a few species of trees were found to yield vegetable tallow.

Until late medieval times, simple domestic lighting was provided by rushlights, made in the home by soaking the pith of a rush in melted household grease and leaving it to set. Rushlights were the forerunners of tallow dips - basic candles made by dipping a wick into a tank of melted tallow, drawing it out to set, then dipping and cooling again until it was thickened to size. A simple dipping frame allowed several to be made at once. Metal moulds were also used in the home, turning out perhaps half-a-dozen candles at a time, tapered for easy removal. A thread was run through the centre of each hollow cylinder before the melted wax was poured in from the broader end. Once hardened, the candles were simply tapped free.

Beeswax produced excellent candles but most people knew only the cheaper tallow variety. A combination of mutton and beef fat gave the best quality tallow; plain beef fat was second best and pig fat was cheapest of all, but gave off an unpleasant smoke. In the latter half of the 18th century a new fuel, spermaceti, became readily available. Obtained from the head of the sperm whale, this white waxy substance was also used as a base for ointments. In candle manufacture it was sometimes scented with plant oils, offering a pleasant alternative to smoky and smelly oil-lamps.

Derbyshire was the source of the world's first paraffin wax candles. In 1847, the brilliant scientist Sir Lyon Playfair identified the presence of petroleum oil in a Riddings coal pit. The discovery led to the establishment of the country's first oil refinery, but the enterprise seemed threatened when the condition of the oil changed. Playfair was consulted and recognised the presence of paraffin in the oil. This he extracted to produce two wax candles, used to illuminate one of his own lectures at the Royal Institution.

Paraffin wax candles came into wide use, often containing stearine as a stiffening agent. Meanwhile, the use of tallow continued for quite some time, especially in mining villages such as Stoney Middleton.

Toll Road and House

Toll Houses were erected when local authorities were made responsible for the upkeep of the roads that passed through their parish. The octagonal one in Stoney Middleton was built in 1840 at a cost of £114 when a new turnpike route was blasted though the Dale to replace the old roadway which wandered over what is known as 'The Bank'. William Morton of Froggatt was the stone mason and George Buxton of Stoney Middleton was the joiner. The work was completed in 2 months. It has a pretty situation, standing over a brook that runs down Middleton Dale. It is now the local village fish & chip shop, it is probably the only listed chippie in the Peak District.

Besom Making

Besom is pronounced "beezum". The word isn't used very much now but everybody knows what a besom looks like - a witch's broomstick. It is a simple brush, made by tying a bundle of twigs round a wooden shaft. You do not use them like ordinary brushes but swing them sideways across the ground. When they get "clarted up" the dirt needs knocking out and the besom left upside-down to dry.

Besom making was one of the Gypsy trades. A bundle of long heather was packed in the centre with smaller twigs to provide a firm bed for the shaft. The whole bundle was bound tightly with cane then the shaft was driven in. It was held firm by a strong nail. The head was trimmed with an axe and the job was done. A skilled worker could make a besom in about five minutes.

Maids and housewives swished their besoms across stone floors, back yards and paths. Farmers sometimes bought a dozen at a time for brushing yards, cleaning out stables, cow sheds and Sayers styes.

At Stoney Middleton, Daniel Jackson was listed as a besom maker in 1895, presumably of Messrs. Jackson and Johnson who worked in the chamber over the smithy. E. Jackson was still in business in 1904.

The smithy was apparently shared by more than one manufacturer since in 1901, when one former besom workshop had already been converted into a cottage, William Jupp's old besom making room was being used for storage by Cookers Cockers, shoe makers. The enclosed yard was still called the Besom Shop Yard.

Mineral extraction - Fluorspar

The veins where galena was found contained other minerals as well. Until the beginning of the 20th century, miners used to throw away the other gangue (or waste) minerals onto spoil heaps. It was then discovered that one of these minerals, fluorspar (Calcium Fluoride) was important in steel making and so the old spoil heaps and lead workings were re-examined.

There are now many uses for fluorspar. It is used in a variety of processes including refrigerants, solvents, aerosol propellants, anaesthetics. It can also be found in your 'fluoride' toothpaste.

The major company involved in mining and processing fluorspar is Laportes at the Cavendish Mill plant in Stoney Middleton.

In 1959 there was a large expansion in demand for fluorspar. There was no room to develop further within the village, so a new plant was built at Cavendish Mill. This remains the largest high grade fluorspar producer in the country and accounts for virtually all of the UK supply.

Processing fluorspar involves crushing the ore finely and separating out the minerals.

Several electric narrow gauge railways are recorded as being operated in Stoney Middleton by Laporte Industries Ltd up to 1987 for the mining of fluorite.

Murder at the Old Moon Inn

About 250 years ago a Scottish peddler was murdered in Stoney Middleton. He had been to Eyam wakes and was last seen in the old Moon Inn at Stoney Middleton.

Tradition claims that the landlord turned a blind eye as the Scotsman was attacked and killed by two women, rival peddlers. The women assailants took his body by horseback to Carlswark cave, opposite Rock Mill in Middleton Dale. It was discovered 20 years later.

The peddler's bones and buckled shoes were put into a box and kept in Eyam church. Nobody came forward to claim them and the remains were eventually buried in the churchyard. A bell ringer named Matthew Hall took the shoes and wore them out.

Highwayman

Back in the 16th and 17th centuries travellers really did take their lives into their own hands trying to navigate the perilous Derbyshire Peak. Highwaymen ruled the highways, maps weren't available until 1760, and sign posts simply didn't exist. The chances of getting lost on the moors, especially during the winter months, or getting held up by a masked horseman were an all too common story.

A highwayman known as Black Harry was the scourge of packhorse trains crossing the moors in the Stoney Middleton and surrounding areas. Black Harry had a very busy career until it was cut short at Gibbet Field on the gibbet at Wardlow Mires when he was hanged, drawn and quartered after being arrested by the Castleton Bow Street Runners. Gibbeting regularly took place at Wardlow with executions being held in Derby gaol. Gibbeting the corpse was popular right up until the mid 19th century. In 1772 the death penalty was imposed for being armed and disguised in high roads and open heaths. Black Harry's name still lives on at Black Harry Gate, Black Harry Farm and Black Harry House near Stoney Middleton.

Well dressing

The origins of the tradition are alternatively said to lie in pagan tradition or in giving thanks for the purity of the water drawn from certain wells during the period of the Black Death. It is often said to have originated in Tissington, Derbyshire, though other claims can be made for Eyam and Stoney Middleton. Whatever its origins it was historically a custom exclusive in England to the Peak District of Derbyshire.

The custom almost died out by the early years of the 20th century but it was revived in the 1920s and 1930s largely through the travails of local Headmaster Mr Edwin Shimwell.

Castle Rock today

Middleton Hall

Middleton Hall is a restored 17th century country house at Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire. It is a Grade II listed building.

The house was built in the mid 17th century for Robert Ashton (who was High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1665) whose son sold it to Edward Finney (High Sheriff) in 1690. Finney's daughter and, in 1790 his heir, married Joseph Denman MD of Bakewell, on whose death the property passed to his nephew Thomas Denman who was Lord Chief Justice, 1832-50.

The house was let out to tenants 1817-1830 but Denman retook possession and altered and extended the house. The Denmans' remained in ownership until the fifth Baron sold the estate in 1953. The house stood empty and neglected for almost twenty five years. In 1977 it was resold, the 19th century alterations and additions were largely demolished and the house was restored to its 16th century appearance.

Caverns & Potholing

Over 3,000 metres of caves are known in this deep limestone gorge. The River Derwent cut down into Monsal Dale limestone in at least four stages, 'pausing' and creating a different cave system whenever the water reached a layer of less permeable rock.

Looking up at dramatic Castle Rock you can see layers (which geologists call 'beds') in the limestone. These were caused by changes in the sea while the rock was being laid down 350 million years ago.

Opposite Rock Mill is a path leading to the infamous potholing caves. The vertical narrow entrance in the cliff is known as Fingall's Cave. It is an old mine and soon reduces down to a small passage. Around the entrance are traces of fluorspar and barytes, with occasional small pieces of shiny blue-grey galena (lead ore). Close by is Carlswalk Cavern. This entrance (between the tree roots) is one of many into this cave system, but the most frequently used by cavers. Further down the cliff towards the road is another one, known as the resurgence entrance. At times of flood a stream flows from it, causing problems on the road. Carlswalk Cavern is the most extensive cave system in the Dale and is popular with cavers. It is 3243m (10641 ft) in length and has a vertical range of 61m (200 ft).

Rock climbing

Rock-climbing in the Peak District, which includes much of Derbyshire and parts of Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Cheshire, began with early pioneers in the 1890s, and has now expanded so that every weekend there are thousands of climbers on the crags. The Peak has a wide range of crags both large and small with well over 10000 recorded climbs - probably no-one knows exactly how many - and being close to several large population centres means that it is a popular place to climb.

By the late 1960s grits-tone gritstone crags had been widely explored and attention turned to the limestone crags - which had hitherto been largely avoided, being regarded as either too steep or too loose. Many of the first limestone routes used one or more pitons but it was gradually realised that these could be climbed without aid and in the 1980s a large number of steep technical limestone routes were added to the list of Peak climbs. More recently some extremely technical routes have been added where majority opinion is that the use of bolts for protection is both justified and necessary.

In the last fifty years the peak district has become a mecca for rock climbing due to the vast amount of accessible climbing available.

In the centre of the Peak District lies the white peak, characterised by its limestone geology. This area provides a different climbing experience, the rock being steeper and offering less friendly cracks. The limestone crags in the Dales of the white peak are usually in good condition. Today this legacy of natural and quarried crags leaves a variety of both traditional (trad) and bolt protected sport climbs many of which represent the upper end of the sport. As a result the peak district has climbing to occupy the enthusiastic beginner through to the world-class athlete visiting from abroad.

The most important of the limestone crags are concentrated at the western end of Stoney Middleton, they are the haunt of modern rock climbers, and the 200 routes up them have gained evocative names such as Aurora, Alcasan Dies Irae and Armageddon.

5 HERITAGE CENTRE

The centre will be housed in a building of historic appearance. There will be a small entrance fee which should encourage a good flow of visitors. The exhibits grouped into areas providing information would be a combination of:

Reconstructions

Working water wheel and cupola

Hole in the wall with video projection to simulate a mine opening

Boot making with working demonstrations

Besum and candle making demonstrations, both of which could be hands on involving visitors, especially children.

Natural materials displayed (limestone, lead, lime, minerals etc)

Artefacts (shoemaking machinery, mining equipment)

TV screens with visual and audio information

Information boards

The purpose being, to simply tell the history of Stoney Middleton in an interesting and informative way.

The centre would provide a good venue for school educational trips. Being situated in the heart of the Peak District on the main A623 road should guarantee that a visit to the area would not be complete without also visiting "The Stoney Middleton Heritage Centre".

This centre would be unique, telling the story of Stoney Middleton's important history, putting the village on the map along with the other well know locations.

The added tourism and the interest created in Stoney Middleton will be of great benefit to the revenue of local businesses within the community. Jobs would be created in The Heritage Centre, Café/Bistro and accommodation site.

The information contained within this presentation was researched in a few weeks, apologies for any incorrect information. More time and effort would be employed in the event that the proposal is approved. Approaches to Matlock Peak Mining Museum resulted in their full approval and commitment and loan of artefacts to support the scheme.

6. THE ACCOMMODATION

Within the Heritage Centre it is proposed to provide tourist accommodation. A combination of bunk house type accommodation, standard bed & breakfast as well as high class holiday apartments.

It is advised that there is scope for additional accommodation within the national park.

This accommodation would be quite unique offering types of accommodation not available elsewhere. Housed within an historic centre, located centrally on a good main road and serviced by a quality value for money eatery the accommodation should be very popular.

The location is opposite the main limestone climbing cliffs and the main Carlswalk Cavern and Fingall's Cave for potholing allowing visitors to merely walk a few yards to the location.

Bunk houses would be reasonably priced, specifically intended to be budget accommodation. It is usual for the cost to be only a few pounds per person per night. The rooms would be large housing 8 to 10 bed bases. There would be a shower and changing room in each bunk house as well as a municipal kitchen area. Residents would provide their own bedding and have the facility to cook their own food (camping without the tent). However, the residents may well choose to eat in the café/bistro as it is proposed to offer breakfast and evening meals at very reasonable prices. Additionally there will be a wet room with lockers incorporated into the basement area for storage of equipment and clothing.

Bed & Breakfast accommodation would consist of twin rooms with private bathroom/Wc/shower. Tea/coffee making facilities will also be provided. These rooms will offer a cheaper alternative to hotels but different to standard B&B accommodation. They will be an ideal base for tourists on shorter visits to the area.

High quality holiday apartments could be one or two bedroom, fully fitted with appliances and furnished to a high standard. These units provide the Heritage Centre with a full variety of accommodation perfect for tourists that are visiting for a longer period of time. All units will have the benefit of the café/bistro to have a meal at competitive prices.

7. CAFE/BISTRO

The café/bistro would be a major contributor to income offering coffee/tea/cakes and meals to breakfast lunch and dinner. The food would be wholesome quality at affordable prices. The nature of the ready made market of climbers, cyclists, and walkers would necessitate value for money. It would be able to pick up from the business previously enjoyed by the former lovers leap café. There will additionally be an outdoor patio area for summer months.

The café/bistro will be used by:

Residents

Centre visitors

Passers by

Walkers

Climbers

Potholers

Motorists

Locals

Day trippers using the café on a regular basis

8. CAR PARKING

The site will have a secure underground car park for residents and staff. Visitor parking will be located around the building and will be sufficient to cope with expected demand.

9 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The project will create much needed employment for the area. The heritage centre, bistro and accommodation units will create a number of employment opportunities. These would be permanent positions and would include:

Café/Bistro

Kitchen 3 positions / 2 shifts

Serving 2 positions / 2 shifts

Ordering and paying 1 position / 2 shifts

Cleaning 1position

Accommodation

Cleaning 2 positions

Reception 1 position / 2 shifts

Heritage centre

Reception 1 position

Demonstrations 3 staff

General

Handyman / Gardener 1 position

General Manager 1 position (long hours)

This would provide 23 permanent jobs, all offered initially to local people. Some may in turn qualify for the affordable accommodation which is intended to be included in the broader scheme for the site in general.

10 FINANCE

Finance for the project will be included as part of the overall plan for the site which is intended to include:

a. High quality commercial / craft units sold or rented on the open market.

b. Affordable housing sold to housing association.

c. Heritage Centre

d. Café / Bistro and Accommodation

e. Open market apartments

It is expected that there would be some delay in take of the commercial units therefore they do not provide any early return but may be a good long term investment. The affordable housing will provide little return but is immediate and guaranteed. The Heritage Centre may attract part funding from the Nation lottery fund. The Café and Accommodation would have to be privately funded and run as a business before alternative investment could be raised. The open market apartments would be essential to provide the funds tom make the project viable.

11. SUMMARY

The heritage centre, as part of the development plan for Rock Mill will provide Stoney Middleton with many varied benefits.

It will tell the forgotten story of the great heritage and contribution it has made to the industrial past. Locals will be proud to learn and to know that others know and respect their home.

Visitors to the village will increase providing increased opportunities benefiting local businesses. Jobs created at the centre will provide incomes for local families as well as securing their continued occupation of the village via existing or affordable homes created at the development. These families in turn will help secure the future of the community in general including schools and businesses.

The improved commercial units will help secure new and continued business occupation of the site. The new modern facilities should attract more long standing community beneficial businesses such as dentist, physiotherapist etc…

The scheme in general will provide a massive visual improvement to the area, it needs acceptance and support from the community in general and yours would be appreciated. Thank you