Gatten Mine

Location - 4 miles east of Shelve village (NGR SO387992)

Minerals - Barytes

Working Life - known working life : 1887-1948

History

This mine was opened in 1887 by M Hulton-Harrop after a large deposit of barytes was discovered on his land. He also worked barytes at Westcott and Rhadley Mines during this period and it is believed that ore from there was brought to Gatten for processing. Initial development was by adits but 2 shafts were later sunk to a depth of 170ft.

Surface Remains

A 15ft adit used to lead to the top of the main shaft but it has been completely removed by reworking of the tips. The shaft itself has a concrete cap and it used to have the runners still in position for a double cage system. It has been descended 75ft to water. To the south is the base of the winding engine and concrete supports for the fuel tank. To the north is a brick magazine with a separate compartment for fuses (an exact twin of the structure at Sallies Mine). An Ingersoll-Rand air-cooled compressor was used at this mine but its location is not known. Just to the east is the top of an open stope which has been partly filled and further east is the concrete cap of the incline shaft. The climbing shaft to the west of the road is filled.

At the Far Gatten workings to the south, there is an open adit on the side of the hill but it has collapsed a short distance inside. On the hillside above to the north-west is a blocked shaft which may have connected to the adit. Another open adit, north of a track, only goes a short distance. There are remains of open workings and collapses to the west but no trace of an adit supposed to be next to the road.