Report - Possible old mine watch this space ...

[detritus21]

This is my first report/thread so please bare with me

Myself and Morrisey have been out and about finding remnants of the coal mining industry and we stumbled accross a possible walk in coal tunnel which we believe may be linked to some old coal pits further up the hillside. Taking nessesary precations we went back armed with cameras and a spade to see how far we can get.

It is a work in progress and may take weeks if not months to get anywhere fast.

The tunnel is a brick lined arch made with handmade bricks heading into the hillside. It has collapsed or been stopped up at about 6 feet. The potential for discovery is massive but so is the chance of failure. It will take much digging, sweat and hard work. The handmade bricks indicate it to be early workings probably from the 18th or early 19th century

I can't disclose the location on the open forum due to watching eyes. 3 pics for you all of which were taken by Morrisey

Hidden in the Bushes is the entrance

The Blockage

Myself up said tunnel armed with a cheapo folding spade which lasted all of 5 minutes.

 

[Styru]

I'm no expert, but I find it hard to believe that that is a mine tunnel - looks far too small

Doesn't mean it's not worth exploring though

 

[detritus21]

The tunnel does indeed look small but when you add everything up it points very strongly towards it being a mine of some description most probably of a coal disposition. In the immediate area there are litterally hundreds of old coal workings and the position we have seems to correspond with a colliery as confirmed with old maps and a GPS. We've been looking for over a year for a breakthrough and this may be the one.

We believe that it should be a full height walk in tunnel. The entrance has already been dug out to at least 4feet and the brick work continues. What you have to remember is that if this is a mine tunnel it will be nothing like NCB tunnelling. The latest the workings could be are 1840's and this corresponds with the handmade bricks.

The first major problem is overcoming the roots that are binding the blockage together then its the case of probably havign to sheet the roof. With a bit of luck it will be well worth it.

 

[pigdog]

looks more like it was a tunnel for water ,seems to small for a mine

 

[detritus21]

For the age that we are looking at this is a big tunnel. Alot of the mining in this particular area was done by means of shallow shafts and the use of Day Eyes. Days eyes are basically less sophisticated versions of a drift mine. Many of the drifts would be constructed with simple wooden constructions a bit like in the Great Escape Film. This however is something different. Once fully dug out at the entrance it should be getting on for 6 feet which is much larger than any drain. It is very difficult to explain without going into too much detail. Early indications do show this to be mining related particularly when you add small bits of coal found in the entrance

 

[pduk2448]

hi guys
you say this entrance is possibly a lower entrance to a mine. Having been a miner i would say that this may be a drain from the mine, they were often made of brick to prevent errosion and from time to time bits of coal will have fallen into the water, this explains the coal you have found. Have a look around, is their any evidence that this may be the case, an old dried up stream bed nearby etc?
You may want to take it carefully if you do hit a flooded mine the water comes in quick. We once drilled an advance bore hole a head of a tunnel we were cutting, the hole was 3 inch we hit water and after 1 hour the hole was more than a foot across and that section of the mine had to be quickly abandoned!
Before you dig through get a scaffolding pole, poke it into the fallen area remove it clean the bore keep pushing it as far as you can or this will tell you how far yo need to dig, if you keep the bore clean it will also tell you in advance if you are about to strike water!

happy tunneling

pduk2448

 

[parkus.]

hi guys
you say this entrance is possibly a lower entrance to a mine. Having been a miner i would say that this may be a drain from the mine, they were often made of brick to prevent errosion and from time to time bits of coal will have fallen into the water, this explains the coal you have found. Have a look around, is their any evidence that this may be the case, an old dried up stream bed nearby etc?
You may want to take it carefully if you do hit a flooded mine the water comes in quick. We once drilled an advance bore hole a head of a tunnel we were cutting, the hole was 3 inch we hit water and after 1 hour the hole was more than a foot across and that section of the mine had to be quickly abandoned!
Before you dig through get a scaffolding pole, poke it into the fallen area remove it clean the bore keep pushing it as far as you can or this will tell you how far yo need to dig, if you keep the bore clean it will also tell you in advance if you are about to strike water!

happy tunneling

pduk2448

god to hear from someone with hands on experience

 

[detritus21]

I've been quiet for this we've not been back up for a while as have had many other commitments. The tunnel if it were a sough or drainage tunnel would have meant it discharging onto the tram road which would have been novel. The drainage soughs for the area are all into the local river one of which is still draining at a rapid rate and the others are long since gone and blocked. I could go through the whole history of the area but that would give the game away as to where it is. I'm well aware of the dangers of water and gas in mines. One place visited involved O2 at 19.1% to then go into a side tunnel with the gas monitor alarming and no breath very quickly is an interesting experience. I've also been up to my neck in water by mistake a mistake I don't intend to make again. The problem with this tunnel is the blockage is full of sandstone as the local strata is full of the stuff. I intend to get back on it in the new year.

 

[heavyknacker]

The drop in Oxygen levels was almost certainly due to the fact that you encountered Blackdamp.This is a gas consisting of excess carbon dioxide and excess nitogen which replaces the oxygen in the air. Because it's specific gravity can vary it is difficult to predict where to find it but in MOST cases it will be lying at floor level in poorly ventilated workings. I wouldn't reccomend being in any old coal mining working environments without a multi gas detector. During my mining days i would detect the gasses with a flame safety lamp,but it takes years of experience to know where to look for, and how to identify the various gasses. I'm not trying to be a party pooper, just voicing my concerns. I wouldn't like your explores to end tragically because once you're in a shit load of blackdamp,it's very difficult to get out of it.
Happy exporing. Knacker

 

[detritus21]

The level of experience I go with is immense. Bods who have worked in Mining, undergorund work specialists, people who have mysterious degrees. The multi gas detector is the best way. Its amazing how you can be in perfect air in one tunnel turn the corner and bang into low oxygen. Mines are undoubtedly dangerous places but then so is walking to work.

 

[billy_bottle]

detritus,, u mentioned a tram road- any evidence of this still visible? Good luck with the dig, got to admire anyone who has a pop at that, as last time I went in mine drains (Wet Earth in the Irwell valley, official trip but since closed 'cos of gas) found out I was claustrophobic! So you have a good root round for us eh!

 

[Pinky]

read the hyde roc report and get on it

 

[detritus21]

There is evidence of the tramroad. Infact there are 3 in a fairly close area each with some elements remaining. As yet I can't pm as I'm not active enouigh on this site but if people wish to contact me regarding tramroads etc then I'm sure there must be a way

 

[detritus21]

Been a while since I've been on 28days as I can't be that bothered without having trusted user etc so have been residing elsewhere. Unfortuanately we have made little progress due to a variety of reasons. I am still in the belief it will do somewhere it just needs some concerted digging effort which due to work constraints I'm struggling with. There is a 8 foot diameter mine shaft within 50 yards of the adit which I located towards the end of last year. It is still on my radar as to continue digging but it will be a long drawn out process. I also now have a lot more information and ground markings of the tramroad but for me to divulge would give away the location which the old coal authority would love me to do.