The development of lead mining and of the coal and iron industries in North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire (1700-1850).

During the century and a half between 1700 and 1850, communications in North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire were greatly improved. During the first half of the 18th century, the Don was made navigable as far as Tinsley; the Seven Years war saw a great number of roads turnpiked; the canal linking Chesterfield with the Trent was made in the 'seventies and the Canal Mania of 1793 saw Acts passed to build canals through parts of the coalfield previously unexploited. Forty seven years later, the North Midland Railway was opened, crossing the area from north to south. During the Railway Mania, a number of Acts were passed, authorising the building of new lines both to open up the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Coalfield and to connect it with areas to the east and south where its coal might win new markets.
Industrially, lead, iron and coal dominated the district during these 150 years. During the first half of the 18th. century, a charcoal iron industry was built upon the iron ore, timber and water power of the region, but this was threatened with extinction by 1750 by a shortage of fuel. During the next half century, the lead ores of Ashover were exploited, on what was for 18th. century Derbyshire, a large scale. With their exhaustion early in the next century, the mines closed down and with them, the adjacent smelting works and red lead mills. Most important in the long term industrial development of the region was the exploitation of its coal. In 1700, this was of little more than local importance. By l850, it was a factor to be reckoned with in most markets south of the Humber. This growth in output was accompanied by changes in the size of the average firm in the industry, by methods of mining technique and management.