Report - Cwmorthan slate mine 0ct19

[alex17595]

Gotta be one of the best in North Wales but the walk kills me a little more each time! Legs were like jelly when we got back to the car last visit to the area.

That's just years of walking on ballast

 

[wormster]

I like the staircase in this mine, its quite an unusual feature for a mine. Other bits look quite dangerous with what must have been false floors rotted away.

Glad you like them, I helped repair them moons ago on a working bee weekend!

 

[Wevsky]

Looks like you took about the same route we did, that walk up there nearly killed me, but well worth it and that staircase going down felt more than a little worrying

 

[DaveFM]

Glad you like them, I helped repair them moons ago on a working bee weekend!

The slate mines must have the largest caverns of any mine type in Britain from the look of them. It seems that slates usefulness as a roofing material is due to it having very low water absorption thus being very resistant to freeze damage and being easy to cleave into thin sheets. It tends to produce high levels of waste material though with sometimes only about 10% of mined rock ending up as actual roof slates.

 

[wormster]

you ain't wrong, hence the mahoosive tips round the quarries

 

[Toodlecat]

Nice

 

[Down and beyond]

Absolutely amazing such a difference to the iron mines around this area do you no when these opened and closed ?

 

[alex17595]

Absolutely amazing such a difference to the iron mines around this area do you no when these opened and closed ?

Quarrying started around 1810 and it closed in 1970.

 

[Down and beyond]

A long time then the mines I go in where I from are 1880-1962, are these extensive inside like many tunnels everywhere the ironstone here are like a maze but much smaller tunnels 8ft tall by 8ft usually mined the pillar and stall method the open areas in yours are much larger

 

[alex17595]

A long time then the mines I go in where I from are 1880-1962, are these extensive inside like many tunnels everywhere the ironstone here are like a maze but much smaller tunnels 8ft tall by 8ft usually mined the pillar and stall method the open areas in yours are much larger

It's massive. The mine next door, Oakeley was once the largest slate mine in the world - These bought Cwmorthin in 1930. If you have a look at the floor levels Floor 16 is 1650ft above sea level and the bottom is 131ft. Slate is pretty much all worked out in massive chambers. Here is a Map of Cwmorthin

 

[Down and beyond]

Wow that is amazing are ones are all just 1 level 1 day I will have to visit I see how they can be so dangerous now the false floors etc have you ever been to a different level as such them or just the top ?

 

[alex17595]

There is an access agreement in place for Cwmorthin, have a look at this website for details. http://www.cwmorthin.org/

As a rule there isn't many false floors in slate mines, the main issue with massive chambers is risk of collapses and big drops. Have a look at one of the smaller mines first. Rhosydd just a bit further up the hill has some nice features and your not likely to get lost. Heres a couple of my reports from Rhosydd.

Report - - Rhosydd Slate Quarry - New Years Day 2018 | Mines and Quarries

Hi, all I have been lurking around for a while but now it is time to make my first report. Recently I have become interested in old mines, living in Derbyshire I have quite a few mines within an hours drive but they all seem to be a crawl around in sticky mud type of mine bar a select few...

www.28dayslater.co.uk

Report - - Rhosydd Quarry surface remains 2016/2017/2018 | Mines and Quarries

I don't really post many surface photos however I'm now amassing a collection of photos from the surface. These are taken over various trips in the past few years and some may also be repeated from some of my other reports. A brief summary from wikipedia: Rhosydd Quarry is a slate mine...

www.28dayslater.co.uk

 

[Lord Oort]

Considering the grief Cwmorthin has had with certain types in the last few months its probably a good idea not to go if you're not very experienced or pay for one of the commercial tours that Go Below offer ( https://www.go-below.co.uk/ ) Cwmorthin is a working slate mine so you will need to sign release forms before they let you go underground.

Rhosydd surface is a good mooch but again, if youve never been underground before, please get someone to take you the first time.

 

[alex17595]

Try somewhere like Conglog for a nice little introduction to slate. No chance of getting lost in there.

 

[Down and beyond]

Thanks mate are you actually aloud up in mines in your area then ,in the East Midlands here it’s so hush hush as such so many YouTube people and Facebook now ,as soon as a adit goes online it gets burried by a digger it’s unbelievable Oe fast this happens , their are still a good handful here I no of but I never madePosts as worried will loose them as well ,have hundreds of good photos if their a place on here I could share some as long as I don’t have to put the actual mine name am happy to thanks for advice