Holme Bank Chert Mine

From 1867 to 1960, blocks of chert were extracted from beneath the hills of the peak district in Holme Bank mine.

For nearly a century, Holme Bank supplied chert to the pottery industry where it was used as a grinding media to turn calcified flint into a fine powder. This powder was added to clay to reduce warping during drying.

Today in the 21st century, mining has been abandoned and many of the passages have filled with water. Holme bank is regularly used for training new overhead divers in the UK, thanks to it’s accessibility, good visibility, and low tendency to silt-out.