We were planning on a walk near Calver when there was a knock on the door while we were eating breakfast. I answered the door and found it was Tony Wood.
He was going to walk an intended route he was planning to lead shortly in the area of Oxlow Rake and asked if we wanted to accompany him. We told him we would do so and agreed to meet at Old Dam near Peak Forest.
We began the walk by following Eldon Lane after parking in the hamlet of Old Dam north of Peak Forest.
After passing Eldon Lane End Farm we continued on the track which is the usual route to Eldon Hole which was visible in the near distance later on.
We followed a public footpath through the fields and arrived at Watts Grove with the remains of a former belland yard which would be harmful to farm animals due to the high levels of lead in the soil as a result of mining activities in the past.
From here the feature known as White Rake led eastwards and we followed in the same direction passing a “pudding pie” lime kiln on the way.
We crossed over a stile into a much disturbed area which was the site of Watts Grove Mine and also the drizzle which had been threatening for a while made an appearance. We could see a sleeper-covered shaft and what looked like the remains of a coe (a small building which the miners used for storing their work clothes and tools) and the remains of a gin circle which was where lead ore would have been crushed by a heavy wheel rotated around the circle which was pulled by a horse.
Nearby we passed the remains of yet another mine called Jowle Grove Mine with similar remains including a crushing circle.
Next was a route crossing Eldon Moor in the mist bringing us to the walled track. We followed the track for a while to the west to see if we could see anything of Slitherstones Rake in the field about a hundred metres to the north of the track, but there was nothing to be seen and we had no permission to wander around the farmland there.
We retraced our steps along the track eastwards and arrived at a field gate and stile which were actually the boundary of the Peak Forest and Castleton Mining Liberties (areas which used to be administered separately during the lead mining era).
The route continued through the gate along the track passing Linicar Rake in the field next to the track to the north, eventually arriving at a gate and stile where the routes from Dirtlow Rake and Cave Dale crossed.
We then followed the route heading towards Cave Dale, part of the Limestone Way, then after passing Old Moor Mine, we branched off on a path at a junction which left the route of the Limestone Way, passing the interesting;y-named Clear the Way Mine then followed a track passing Oxlow Rake until we arrived back at Old Dam.
We drove the short distance to Peak Forest and had a quick drink in the Devonshire Arms before heading for home.
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| Eldon Hole in the distance |
