Fluorspar Production

Cavendish Mill

Fluorspar is a critically important industrial mineral which has been mined and processed in Stoney Middleton for hundreds of years and is today the only producer in Britain.

Fluorspar is a mineral (calcium fluoride) found with limestone having been deposited within the fissured rock during volcanic activity many thousands of years ago. It is found underground mainly in veins infilling the naturally occurring faults in limestone. fluorspar always occurs along with other minerals, the most commercially important being barytes and galena (lead ore). The minerals are extracted by open

Flourspar
Flourspar

pit or mining methods and today is principly from Milldam Mine near Stoney Middleton.

It is an essential mineral used in the refrigeration / air conditioning, plastics industries, insulation for wires, cables and semi-conductors, non-stick cookware (Teflon) and for processing metals including aluminium, stainless steel and urainium for nuclear fuel.

Cavendish Mill in Stoney Middleton has been producing fluorspar for generations. The process includes first crushing the ore before a washing and separation process and finally heating it to produce acid grade fluorspar. The mill is operated by British Flourspar Ltd employing over 40 people locally.

Read More Fluorspar Factsheeet

Read More Bulletin 11-3 – Fluorspar Mining in Derbyshire

Read More Newspaper article about Flourspar mining


2 Comments

  • Adrian Foster says:

    Dear Sirs

    In June 1980 myself and two colleagues found a small fluorspar mine at the side of the A623 road in Middleton Dale just west of Stoney Middleton. Some notes I made at the time proclaimed this to be Tessadale Ltd, Hanging Flat Fluorspar Mine, about twenty five years old and employed five workmen. My interest in this mine is that it had, albeit very short, a narrow gauge railway on the surface on which a solitary skip was used – a similar skip was in use underground.
    Does the Group have any information about this mine please?

  • Adrian Foster says:

    In the article “Fluorspar Mining in Derbyshire” by J V Bramley, (bulletin 11-3) there is a photograph of Sallet Hole Mine which Mr Bramley states uses trackless haulage. This photograph must have been taken after Sallet Hole dispensed with its rail system sometime after September 1984. I have a photograph of the mine entrance in its railway days in July 1980 with two Clayton battery locomotives standing outside, however, I don’t think this comment box allows me to post this photograph.

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