Research

Academic Research

The museum holds a reference library for the Peak District Mines Historical Society. This includes books and journals relating to local, national and international mining heritage and geology. Download the Library Catalogue to browse available publications. Please contact us to make an appointment, so we can have your books ready.

A selection of the museum’s collections is available to browse online here. If you would like more detailed information about items in our collection, or you would like to search for items with specific associations, for example the location they were found, please contact us to arrange for one of our staff to show you the complete searchable database.

Download a copy of our library catalogue (pdf) from the PDMHS web site here.

Other useful resources can be found from:

• The Peak District Mines Historical Society this is our parent organisation, the web site includes many more resources about mining in the region.
• The National Association of Mining History Organisations
• The Northern Mines Research Society.

Family History

If you are researching family history in the area, you will find many relevant archives at The Derbyshire Record Office, which is situated in Matlock.

You may also want to try the Local Studies sections of public libraries at Matlock, Derby City and Sheffield City. 

www.wirksworth.org.uk is a very useful site for anyone studying local or family history. It contains census records for Wirksworth and the surrounding area, including Matlock and Matlock Bath, plus many other historical resources. 

Chatsworth House  holds extensive archives relating to mining in the area.

The Peak District Mines Historical Society  web site includes some useful resources relevant to mining families in the region.