Modern Mining
Regular mining of Blue John has been carried out in the cavern since the 18th century. Technology has improved with time but great skill is still needed to obtain the mineral…
Pictured below are shots taken during mining in Treak Cliff Cavern in January and November 2014.
Pictured below is a nodule variant of the rare Millers Vein, taken from the mine in January 2014 and processed in the Treak Cliff Cavern workshop by our skilled craftsmen. (refers to tccnod1)
Treak Cliff Cavern is still very much a working mine, with half a tonne of Blue John stone being mined each year.
Our expert miners, Gary Ridley, John Turner and Jack Mosley, use the latest technologies and ancient methods to carefully extract the beautiful ‘Blue John’.
We are mining some of the finest examples of jewellery stone, ornamental stone and specimens ever found.
Although the larger pieces of Blue John have long since been mined, we are still able to pick from a substantial quantity found off the beaten track underground inside Treak Cliff Hill.
As a visitor in January and February you may be able to catch the miners at work in the cavern during a tour, and / or the guides can point out exactly where mining operations are being carried out at this present time.
Pictured below are shots taken during mining in Treak Cliff Cavern in January and November 2014.
The final picture is a nodule variant of the rare Millers Vein, taken from the mine in January 2014 and processed in the Treak Cliff Cavern workshop by our skilled craftsmen. Click the thumbnails for a larger image.
The new Treak Cliff Cavern Interpretation Centre is part-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development - to upgrade the visitor offer, by providing new toilets, heritage and interpretation centre. Project reference number: 101006.
