Daylight Hole is a large artificial cavern excavated by iron ore miners, believed to have been abandoned around 1911. The mine was originally worked by the Pennington Mining Company, and later by Harrison Ainslie and Company.
The entrance is on private land close to Whinfield Farm, at the bottom of a 150 feet deep crater. The main chamber is 240 feet long, 126 feet wide and in some places over 60 feet high. A deep lake occupies half of the floor area, and the other half is occupied by large boulders and debris from roof collapses. Passages are carved through the solid limestone, leading away from the main chamber. Some of these still contain railway lines and abandoned iron ore bogies, complete with buckets of axle grease. Some of the passageways have collapsed and lower levels are visible through holes in the floors. The cavern and passageways are liable to flooding, and in view of the number of previous collapses evident, the place can only be described as a very dangerous mine.
Map of Daylight hole mine
Entrance to the cavern
Next to the mine entrance in the cavern
Way in
View attachment 276226
main passage
Mine cart race!
mine cart junction
lower collapsed level that we left well alone!
I will try and put more mine pictures up soon
The entrance is on private land close to Whinfield Farm, at the bottom of a 150 feet deep crater. The main chamber is 240 feet long, 126 feet wide and in some places over 60 feet high. A deep lake occupies half of the floor area, and the other half is occupied by large boulders and debris from roof collapses. Passages are carved through the solid limestone, leading away from the main chamber. Some of these still contain railway lines and abandoned iron ore bogies, complete with buckets of axle grease. Some of the passageways have collapsed and lower levels are visible through holes in the floors. The cavern and passageways are liable to flooding, and in view of the number of previous collapses evident, the place can only be described as a very dangerous mine.
Map of Daylight hole mine
Entrance to the cavern
Next to the mine entrance in the cavern
Way in
View attachment 276226
main passage
Mine cart race!
mine cart junction
lower collapsed level that we left well alone!
I will try and put more mine pictures up soon
