Compiling a history of a specific mining district requires a level of dedication that is possessed by few. Once the initial time-consuming study has been carried out, further accuracy, clarity and readability is needed. Having undertaken decades of research on Derbyshire's lead-mining industry, Dr Jim Rieuwerts clearly has the first qualification, and as a result, his accuracy is beyond reproach.

In this book he has adopted a slightly unusual approach to historical recording, in that his perspective is from the bottom of the mine - the ‘sough' or drainage level. In common with mines worldwide, Derbyshire's lead industry was founded on ores above the water table, but was soon plagued by the need for drainage. However, unlike many other places, the solution was topographic, allowing long drainage tunnels to be driven beneath the existing workings.

Following a brief history of lead mining in Derbyshire as a whole, from the area's geology to the mining and ore-dressing techniques used, the book examines the district's soughs on an individual basis. Given the small size of this area, which lies from Castleton in the north to between Buxton and Stoney Middleton in the south, Rieuwerts has identified over 100 drainage levels, and shows how each allowed production to develop or continue in the overlying veins. Construction was costly and time-consuming, with progress depending on factors such as the hardness of the rock, whether ventilation shafts could be sunk, and the presence of natural water. Some were driven on vein, while others were in barren ground from which no return could be anticipated until the target veins had been reached.

Maps, reproduced from old Ordnance Survey sheets, indicate the lines of veins and soughs, as well as shafts and adit mouths. Clearer annotation would have been helpful, as would a master map showing relative locations. Line drawings, sections, and both monochrome and colour photographs add interest, with Rieuwerts being fortunate enough to secure excellent underground photos.

Despite its topic, this is a fairly dry book with, I suspect, a regionally restricted readership. The title (Volume 1) suggests more will be forthcoming. If this is the case, then there is an opportunity to rectify some of the flaws present here, not least of which is the poor use of punctuation. In places this detracts from the authority with which the author has prepared his information. A glossary of mining terms specific to Derbyshire would also be useful for readers who are not familiar with local usage.

With so much interest still shown in Derbyshire's lead industry, this expanded version of the limited-run 1987 volume on the county's soughs will probably be regarded as the definitive text. Well-referenced throughout, it makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the industry through time.