Dyes in History and Archaeology 30
Visit to the Heights of Abraham and Masson Working Mill, Matlock Bath
Saturday 15th October 2011
The coach will pick us up on the road outside the Conference Centre at 9.30 a.m. and we should arrive at the Heights of Abraham at about 10.15 a.m. We take the cable cars to the top of the site for a complimentary tea or coffee in the Tree Tops Visitor Centre. This will also be the location of our buffet lunch (top floor) at 1.00 p.m. Until then we can explore what the site has to offer.
We suggest you check out the Great Masson Cavern (location 1 on diagram) and note the times of the guided tours. Be warned that in the mine, the track underfoot may be slippery, the headroom is restricted in a few places to about 1.7 metres and the exit is by means of a staircase of some 85 steps. The tour takes approximately 40 minutes.
We also suggest you occupy yourselves with the attractions on the same level as the Visitor Centre, or slightly higher up (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,). Then descend to the Great Rutland Cavern (7) for the tour, but note that the climb (by steps or ascending paths) requires a bit of stamina
The English weather can be unpredictable so we recommend you bring with you some reading material in case we are confined mainly indoors due to rain. Also for bird-spotters among you, there is an under-cover area for viewing at the end of the ground floor of the visitor Centre.
Descend by cable car to assemble in the coach by 2.15pm
It’s just a five-minute ride to Masson Mill. If you miss the coach it is a 15-minute walk (on the level: southwards along the main road in the direction of Derby) to the Mill, and you can rejoin the group there. Note that there are two facilities within the Mill complex. One is a shopping centre and the other, the historic mill. The latter is approached first as you walk along the main road. To get to the entrance, double back on yourself and descend the sloping pathway that leads off the main road.
The time allocation for the tour of the mill and time to explore is 2.15-5.00 p.m. The foot-sore may choose to purchase tea or other refreshments in the shopping centre complex (accessible from the historic mill area) and we rejoin our coach at 5.00 p.m. for a 5.45 p.m. arrival back at the Derby Conference Centre.
The coach company has kindly agreed to store delegates’ luggage on the coach whist we visit the Heights and Masson Mill. The coach will call at Derby train station at the end of the return journey for those who wish to continue on their journeys without going back to their hotels.