Report - Rosary Road chalk mines, Norwich - March 2014

[Spark]

Promised i would put a new report up as my last photos were terrible.

Visited along with a few city rooftops with 2 friends on a warm day in the city. nothings changed their apart from some small collapses on the edges. probably my last visit here as the buildings on the front of the site are almost complete.

Some history:
"In the early 19th century the lime-kilns and chalk workings around this area were fully exploited but by the end of the century housing and industrial development had made access to the pits and tunnels difficult and they eventually were abandoned. However, they continued to be used as places for storage. Thompson & Sons, for instance, used the caves and tunnels (Rosary road) when they occupied the Chalk Hill Works site as a natural storehouse for iron, zinc and tin, erecting two stout doors at the entrances to the main tunnels. In the 19th century Coleman's Brewery Company occupied the site and used the tunnels for extensive storage."

Thanks for viewing.

 

[The Kwan]

Thanks for reposting it Spark and it is 100 times better than your original report, one minor niggle, pictures are a bit small but otherwise

 

[Wevsky]

Looks good to me,shame the taggers get everywhere

 

[norfolkexplorer]

Just to give anybody local the heads up, the fire brigade got called here today as have advised that there are very high sulphur levels in the cave now, don't ask me what this means but just thought It woiuld be nice to let you know, but having been visiting there over the last few years with mates, and 2 of those mates nearly passing out yesterday, I would prob stay away, if that is not enough, then maybe the massive cracks that are appearing, and bits of wall and ceiling are falling down may be a little alarming too

 

[Cuuvin]

Hydrogen Sulfide maybe? if so, it'll make you dead real quick.Do not f*ck with it. Ask the Drain guys. If it was, your mates were damn lucky ...
"Hydrogen sulfide (H2S, CAS# 7783-06-4) is an extremely hazardous, toxic compound. It is a colourless, flammable gas that can be identified in relatively low concentrations, by a characteristic rotten egg odor. The gas occurs naturally in coal pits, sulfur springs, gas wells, and as a product of decaying sulfur-containing organic matter, particularly under low oxygen conditions. It is therefore commonly encountered in places such as sewers, sewage treatment plants (H2S is often called sewer gas)

Hydrogen sulfide has a very low odor threshold, with its smell being easily perceptible at concentrations well below 1 part per million (ppm) in air. The odor increases as the gas becomes more concentrated, with the strong rotten egg smell recognizable up to 30 ppm. Above this level, the gas is reported to have a sickeningly sweet odor up to around 100 ppm. However, at concentrations above 100 ppm, a person's ability to detect the gas is affected by rapid temporary paralysis of the olfactory nerves in the nose, leading to a loss of the sense of smell. This means that the gas can be present at dangerously high concentrations, with no perceivable odor.

low expos - 0 - 10 ppm
Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat

Moderate expos 10 - 50 ppm
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Coughing and breathing difficulty

high expos 50 - 200 ppm
Severe respiratory tract irritation
Eye irritation / acute conjunctivitis
Shock
Convulsions
Coma
Death in severe cases

Should a co-worker ever be overcome by H2S gas, do not attempt a rescue until you are properly protected yourself. The rescuer can very easily get caught out by venturing into a confined space without adequate protection. Remember that at levels above 200 ppm, collapse, coma and death due to respiratory failure can occur within seconds after only a few inhalations so you can be overcome yourself very quickly. Such incidents are sadly all too common and only serve to make the rescue effort twice as difficult.'"

sorry for the sermon , but being dead kinda sucks, you know.

 

[GAJ]

I'm confined space rescue trained & can say unequivocally that anyone who heads in here now is really being fucking stupid. What you'll see is your mate passing out, then you'll naturally go to try & help them & also pass out. You'll only be alive for a few minutes after that which probably won't be that unpleasant for you as you won't know anything about it, but then, assuming you told someone you were going, someone will come looking for you & expose themselves to the danger. Hopefully they'll be a trained rescuer with the correct equipment so their life isn't also put at risk by peoples stupidity. If someone grabbed me to go rescue someone who's passed out in a mine like this, I'd walk very quickly in the opposite direction. This may seem heartless but I'd actually be making sure at least someone was alive to call for help. Not even joking there, anyone drops in front of me in any confined space I'll be leaving them so I can get proper help. Luckily I normally know where I'm going & the risks involved, taking a gas meter, or someone with one, for this very reason so minimising the risk.

Do not underestimate the dangers with any form of mine, there are so many different layers that can all react to water ingress, seismic activity etc. & release toxic gases. This is why only people with proper experience explore the more volatile mines & I promise you, they would do the same as I've described above.

AVOID THIS MINE AT ALL COSTS. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!

 

[Speed]

Is there something dead in there?? I dont get how there would be H2S in there.. Its a tiny little chalk mine with two well ventilated entrances.

 

[GAJ]

Sediments break down with varying degrees of seismic activity & water ingress & release gases. Some of these can be vegetation based & then release H2S. Not worth debating it if so, just avoid for your life's sake.

 

[Cuuvin]

Just to give anybody local the heads up, the fire brigade got called here today as have advised that there are very high sulphur levels in the cave now, don't ask me what this means but just thought It woiuld be nice to let you know, but having been visiting there over the last few years with mates, and 2 of those mates nearly passing out yesterday, I would prob stay away, if that is not enough, then maybe the massive cracks that are appearing, and bits of wall and ceiling are falling down may be a little alarming too

Is there something dead in there?? I dont get how there would be H2S in there.. Its a tiny little chalk mine with two well ventilated entrances.

cracks open gas pockets & unless it's a forced air ventilation, gas will collect in depressions

"With a vapor density of 1.19, hydrogen sulfide is approximately 20 percent heavier than air, so this invisible gas will collect in depressions in the ground and in confined spaces."

so, unless you like to play Russian roulette with 6 bullets in the revolver, do not go there

 

[Spark]

It was me and my friend chirs that nearly passed out in their. we could smell something rotten and shitty and my chris said it smelt like sulfur. we could occasionally here gas seeping through the wall. after about half an hour chirs said to me his camera screen was going all funny and when i looked up my vision was fuzzy and lagging, at that point i told him we need to get the fuck out, seconds later my hearing went muffeld and i went really dizzy, like the whole place was spinning arround, so i just darted to the enterance and hoped chris would follow, which he did. called emergancy services and the firebrigade were straight in there with tanks and said their gas detectors were reading toxic levels of Hydrogen Sulfide. Me and chris are fine now and the symptoms went off about 10 minuits later. just shocked me very much, ive been in their at least 10 times and never had a problem and then this happend. The bad news is its now probably getting sealed up, but i needed to report it as i know if someone else went in their they could not have been as lucky as us.

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

And the irony is that Man Gone Wrong has a Gas Detector sat at home, that you should have taken with you!

You were very very Fucking lucky! As i said to him on the night in question.

I would suggest the good news is it"s getting sealed before someone does die in there.

I have the same with a local Railway tunnel to me where you can only enter using a BA set due to Toxic fumes caused by a landfill site around it draining into the tunnel. It"s not worth it for a few picures

 

[norfolkexplorer]

So true bud. They are only photos. Never worth the risk