Report - Snape wood mine, wadhurst feb 17

[DaveFM]

In East Sussex you find orange coloured streams from all the iron in the ground, I remember one at the bottom of Mardens Hill in Crowborough when my dad used to live there.

 

[rudicantfail]

Go up to Ashdown forest/ Kingstanding and you will see many such brooks, perfect clear water with the orange colouring to the rocks and soil. I have many happy childhood memories of Crowborough and surrounding area.

 

[VirtualExplorer]

It seems a bit hard to believe but at one time Sussex was a major iron producing part of the UK. If you look on any map you will see a number of small lakes and ponds scattered about the place and marked on the map as "Furnace Pond" - these were man made to drive water powered bellows to smelt the iron. I think the Iron mining moved to the north due to better quality ore and probably coal.

 

[ultimateninjaworrier]

Amazing, didn't think we had mines like that so close by my yard. I was always under the impression that ore was usually got from cottage industry type mines in small open cast pits. These appear similar to the ragstone mines under Maidstone.

 

[DaveFM]

Amazing, didn't think we had mines like that so close by my yard. I was always under the impression that ore was usually got from cottage industry type mines in small open cast pits. These appear similar to the ragstone mines under Maidstone.

These are probably more extensive than the Maidstone ragstone mines which were on a very small scale, even the largest was a pretty small mine as mines go.

 

[rudicantfail]

Ashdown forest is an amazing area. I went to Beacon School, Crowborough , and they sent us on school trips in and around Ashdown forest. I really miss East Sussex, and would love to go back and live there.

But as to the iron rich area, this script is copied from the internet which gives you some idea as to how great the area is. The link takes you to the site, so hopefully the photos will able to be viewed.

"Iron rich stream in Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is a former medieval hunting forest, and is the highest ridge of the High Weald. At ten square miles it is the largest open access area in the South East. Ashdown Forest was purchased by East Sussex County Council from the De La Warr family in 1988. It is now managed by a Board of Conservators. Although nearly two thirds of it is heathland there are also substantial areas of woodland.

This is on the far western edge of Ashdown Forest, beyond the A22. There are also streams as here, viewed from a footbridge. In the 17th century a number of large iron production sites sprung up around the margins of Ashdown Forest with the ore being abstracted from pits within the Forest. Many of the streams, like this, one show up red at times to indicate that iron is present in the soil. Another stream actually showing how red these can be is seen at Link"

 

[CantClimbTom]

Bumping an old thread... but I'm very interested by this as the "commute" isn't too bad for me. Is there any haulage adit with gate/bars across, or any means of air circulation for the mine other than the closed manhole like bat-castles on the shafts higher up? Did you experience any areas of low O2 while there or other problems not mentioned?

Sorry folks, ignore me and further digging I've stumbled across all I need to know, now, sorry for bumping

 

[monk]

Bumping an old thread... but I'm very interested by this as the "commute" isn't too bad for me. Is there any haulage adit with gate/bars across, or any means of air circulation for the mine other than the closed manhole like bat-castles on the shafts higher up? Did you experience any areas of low O2 while there or other problems not mentioned?

Sorry folks, ignore me and further digging I've stumbled across all I need to know, now, sorry for bumping

If you do make the trip check out the other side of the tracks, there's another mine that needs a couple of pics taken

 

[CantClimbTom]

If you do make the trip check out the other side of the tracks, there's another mine that needs a couple of pics taken

I was reading about that, it could be flooded? ... but there's only 1 way to find out

 

[monk]

I was reading about that, it could be flooded? ... but there's only 1 way to find out

Partially flooded yes, I did have a brief look years back but never found the entrance, unfortunately it's a good 14hr round-trip for me now so probably never will get it done.

 

[VirtualExplorer]

Are the entrances to these mines normally locked?

 

[DaveFM]

Are the entrances to these mines normally locked?

I would imagine so given that they're in SE England.

 

[monk]

Are the entrances to these mines normally locked?

Yep, sometimes you can get lucky though.

 

[CantClimbTom]

Are the entrances to these mines normally locked?

The first picture shows a padlock, since it's a hole in the ground in some woods, you don't want young kids falling down it, so seems more than reasonable to me. IMHO the subject of locks is best left undiscussed, other than I think KURG (Kent Underground Research Group) holds a key and you could contact them for a permission visit if you wanted to try that. h ttps: // kurg .org. uk/ contact

 

[Wevsky]

It was kept secure, but accessible via a bolt , you could just undo, this was an understanding with those who kept an eye on it. goons being goons may have left this un bolted so access may have changed