previously thought lost due to the entrance portal being engulfed in a collapse, this mine accesses a number of inner workings spawling under the hillside chasing veins of haematite with plenty left in situ. Landowners permission is required to access the woodland. A lot of the areas accessible in this mine are very unstable and the utmost care should be taken, on our explores we have had frequent mini collapses of seemingly stable rock just by climbing over them. be careful.
Climbing over the entrance collapse and sliding down a mud chute brings you onto the main level, carved in solid-ish carboniferous limestone , the first ~50 m have a parallel drainage level set slightly lower, which I assume was the drainage level that had pumps driven by steam from the nearby Wood Pit. the entrance to this level starts as a cut and cover and ends in collapse before reaching the surface.
Back in the main level off to the right is a ~50 m drive that doesn't hit any ore and abruptly ends, so turn around and go back to the main level.
Continuing down the main level you reach a substantial collapse of clay and boulders, this was the site of a CATMHS dig from 1988, which has succumbed to time, water, pressure and rot. This is bypassed by a recently installed pipe, taking you into an old stoped out area and leads into "The Flats" an area that has been undercut and the whole ceiling of bedrock left to collapse into the workings. VERY SKETCHY AND UNSTABLE!! but we are sure we have found a way into levels connecting to the flats by crawling down the collapses.
Going over The Flats, you link into further stoped out workings extending up towards the surface not far above your head, there are old ladders and pick marks a plenty up in the far reaches here. You also link with the main level on the other side of the collapse. the level curves in a SSE/NNW line straight into the hillside, following it straight in take you through some beautiful square cut levels with every so often a trial hear and there going sideways and upwards, chasing the veins of ore
one thing is constant here, thick red mud. Here in the working seem to intersect some natural voids that appear water worn. I climbed up one, that seemed natural with some stemple support holes carved in the sides to find a dead end covered in wide pick marks (~1.5" as opposed to the sharper marks elsewhere).
Here the are more run ins that look like shafts that have been infilled with small gravel and clay, and an area that bears a stark resemblance to the entrance feature in the Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness - no coincidence as the explorers of the day were consulted for the Museum's designs. At the site of an old dig, there is a partially timbered dig, which stinks, either due to the creosote used to protect the timbers, or from a tractor lost in a sink hole above.
we followed the level in the other - flooded 1ft deep - direction, to find a mud collapse and bad air indicated by the 3 of us panting after a level walk - quick retreat back to fresh air.
Back at the main level, we headed northwards, inspecting the old dig attempting to continue along the level - but this was very very sketchy, the bed rock wants to keep this place secret, so I think we'll leave it be.
back along the main level, we entered so more old workings which worm here there and everywhere chasing the veins of haematite,
https://flic.kr/p/2qfS4om
the ore here seems to be of negligible quality and crumbles away from the vein, as opposed to the seemingly higher quality ore across the road in the Ding Dong mine. One stope contains some beautiful calcite formations, the bright, clean white contrasting against the red of everything else, with smooth cave pearls and sharp crystals sat in a tranquil calcite terrace, these cry out to be left alone and clean. There is in these working. what we can only assume is an ore chute, it is initially angled before heading vertically up to join a level at the top - previously explored and not leading anywhere, it seems a lot of effort to dig it for little reward. we may get it bolted to explore further.
Climbing over the entrance collapse and sliding down a mud chute brings you onto the main level, carved in solid-ish carboniferous limestone , the first ~50 m have a parallel drainage level set slightly lower, which I assume was the drainage level that had pumps driven by steam from the nearby Wood Pit. the entrance to this level starts as a cut and cover and ends in collapse before reaching the surface.
Back in the main level off to the right is a ~50 m drive that doesn't hit any ore and abruptly ends, so turn around and go back to the main level.
Continuing down the main level you reach a substantial collapse of clay and boulders, this was the site of a CATMHS dig from 1988, which has succumbed to time, water, pressure and rot. This is bypassed by a recently installed pipe, taking you into an old stoped out area and leads into "The Flats" an area that has been undercut and the whole ceiling of bedrock left to collapse into the workings. VERY SKETCHY AND UNSTABLE!! but we are sure we have found a way into levels connecting to the flats by crawling down the collapses.
Going over The Flats, you link into further stoped out workings extending up towards the surface not far above your head, there are old ladders and pick marks a plenty up in the far reaches here. You also link with the main level on the other side of the collapse. the level curves in a SSE/NNW line straight into the hillside, following it straight in take you through some beautiful square cut levels with every so often a trial hear and there going sideways and upwards, chasing the veins of ore
one thing is constant here, thick red mud. Here in the working seem to intersect some natural voids that appear water worn. I climbed up one, that seemed natural with some stemple support holes carved in the sides to find a dead end covered in wide pick marks (~1.5" as opposed to the sharper marks elsewhere).
Here the are more run ins that look like shafts that have been infilled with small gravel and clay, and an area that bears a stark resemblance to the entrance feature in the Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness - no coincidence as the explorers of the day were consulted for the Museum's designs. At the site of an old dig, there is a partially timbered dig, which stinks, either due to the creosote used to protect the timbers, or from a tractor lost in a sink hole above.
we followed the level in the other - flooded 1ft deep - direction, to find a mud collapse and bad air indicated by the 3 of us panting after a level walk - quick retreat back to fresh air.
Back at the main level, we headed northwards, inspecting the old dig attempting to continue along the level - but this was very very sketchy, the bed rock wants to keep this place secret, so I think we'll leave it be.
back along the main level, we entered so more old workings which worm here there and everywhere chasing the veins of haematite,
https://flic.kr/p/2qfS4om
the ore here seems to be of negligible quality and crumbles away from the vein, as opposed to the seemingly higher quality ore across the road in the Ding Dong mine. One stope contains some beautiful calcite formations, the bright, clean white contrasting against the red of everything else, with smooth cave pearls and sharp crystals sat in a tranquil calcite terrace, these cry out to be left alone and clean. There is in these working. what we can only assume is an ore chute, it is initially angled before heading vertically up to join a level at the top - previously explored and not leading anywhere, it seems a lot of effort to dig it for little reward. we may get it bolted to explore further.
Last edited:
