mine

have come across some very high-def scans of some Maeonoffren mine maps/plans. Not sure if .JPG will post in full quality here, but could be useful to someone. Obviously wouldn't be smart idea to try navigate with these, just gives you an idea of the layout.

Access to this mine is strictly by permission of the WCMS. Contact them if you’d like permission to enter and they’d be happy to help!!!!!! History The quarry was worked for Firestone, a building stone, before the advent of railways this was the best available stone in the Home Counties. It is...

1. The History Sallet Hole Mine No.1 is located just southeast of the Derbyshire village of Stoney Middleton. It is classified as ‘mixed-mine’, having been worked for lead, barytes, and fluorspar over the years. It was originally driven as a “sough” (an underground channel for draining water out...

History Two underground mines were discovered in the 60’s by cavers, one was named quarry dean and the other was named football field quarry. Both mines (which I’m convinced were connected at one point) date back as early as the roman era. The stone quarried from these mines were used to build...

History High quality sand deposits in Reigate were mined at least since the 1700’s up untill the early 1900’s. This left numerous mines (or caves in which they are known by) around the town. Most of the sand extracted was used to make glass in horticulture and as a cleaning abrasive. After the...

Visited on Monday 9June 2025 and the fixed metal entrance ladder that sticks up out of the hole has been removed by the landowner. So had to abseil in and prussik back out. We were told the ladder was lying around inside the mine but we couldnt see it and there is one on the surface cut up into...

The Wynne slate mine is located on the immediate east side of Glyn Ceiriog, on the north side of Quarry Road. It was originally a hillside working dating from about 1770 and was further developed in the 1870s with underground workings developed in about 1890. In 1898 the quarry employed 64 men...

1. The History Maenofferen slate quarry is situated near the North Wales town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, between the Manod and Moelwyn Mountains. Situated at 400m, it was first worked by men from the nearby Diphwys mine circa 1800 and by 1848 slate was being transported via the Ffestiniog Railway...

1. The History Maenofferen slate quarry is situated near the North Wales town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, between the Manod and Moelwyn Mountains. Situated at 400m, it was first worked by men from the nearby Diphwys mine circa 1800 and by 1848 slate was being transported via the Ffestiniog Railway...

We’ve just released a full underground exploration documentary on the Brandy Bottle Incline—a dramatic 600ft inclined shaft plunging into the North Pennines at up to 45 degrees. The Brandy Bottle Incline was part of a 19th-century lead mining complex, built to haul ore up the steep incline from...

Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme (Opencast Coal Mine), Merthyr Tydfil - February 2025 Aerial shot of Ffos-y-fran whilst in operation (BBC) A Brief History The Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation scheme was a large opencast coal mine sitting just outside the town of Merthyr Tydfil. The last...

Hi all, our documentary covering many aspects of mine exploration is now available ! Venture into the darkness and discover the hidden world of abandoned mines with us! In this documentary, we j delve deep into the forgotten depths beneath our feet on a real, physical exploration. Uncover...

Kent Hill Gravel Mine, Audley, Staffordshire - June 2024 ‘First documentation of both surface and underground workings appeared on the 1946 OS map, although small-scale extraction had been happening since the 1920s. The gravel was processed on-site and sold primarily to the Water Board for...

A mine on the moors above Kettlewell in Wharfedale. Lead was probably extracted in these parts since medieval times although the heyday was in the mid to late 1800’s, second only to farming in terms of employment. It was called Providence and then Old Providence to distinguish it from the New...

History The Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme was a major opencast coaling operation to the north-east of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. It was the last major opencast mine in the UK, and it shut down in November 2023 with restoration planned to start in 2024. But clearly never did ! The...

1. The History This former lead and Fluorspar mine sits just west of Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire high up on the valley side to the south of the Buxton Road. Trying to establish the start of its operation, a 1880 O/S map shows no traces of the mine. However, the mine appears on the 1890 up-date...

Hi all, The main entrance to the crisp delph mine is still sealed with concrete, however the soil around the entrance looks to have been backfilled recently, and with a bit of perseverance I think it’ll be possible to gain entry to this stunning mine. The last time I know of anyone going in...

Geevor Tin Mine, Cornwall - August 2024 Geevor Tin Mine, situated between the villages of Pendeen and Trewellard in Cornwall, England, operated from 1911 until its closure in 1990. Today, it stands as a preserved heritage site, offering a fascinating insight into the region’s rich mining...

The next mining area along the North Pennine escarpment from the previous posts (Long Fell, Scordale, Dufton & Threlkeld Side, Silverband, Knapside & Foxfold). As usual there were no pictures of anything underground, and in this case there was very little. Nevertheless there were a few...

March 2025 Following kind guidance from @HughieD, I visited Maenofferen with @Acid-reflux. I hadn't considered it before. However, after being a middle man in a chat about it, I checked out some online photos. My interest was soon sparked, so I tagged along with Acid for a closer look. It...