Facit Stone Mine – Haslingden
History
Facit Mine taps into the Haslingden series of sandstone deposits, a quite hard rock, which was used for paving flags, machine beds, construction and later hardcore and aggregate for motorway construction
Some quarries in the area are now reopened with small scale production of flag stones and other products. Despite the abundance of quarries in the area : Facit, Britannia, Lands, Abraham etc; mine workings are very common – as the best stone is often found under thousands of tons of overburden and inferior stone – known as “ feight “, so adits were sunk and the stone excavated from pillar and stall workings
Tramways remains that carried the stone down to the valley floor cross ever hill and in the late 19th century , the rail line from Accrington to Rochdale was opened – allowing ease of transport .
These days the quarries seem to be used for off-road vehicles and motorbikes, most if not all will be totally unaware of what lurks below.
General History on the Pillar and Stall Technique
‘It is not generally known that drifts are now made underground for the purpose of stone getting, but such is the fact, and this kind of work renders the life of the quarrymen doubly dangerous. This mode of mining, however, obviates the removing of considerable amount of “bearing,” which would otherwise be very necessary. In times past, they thought little of bearing or cutting away earth to the depth of 20 or 30 feet, if thereby plenty of good stone could be afterwards procured; but the undermining system now adopted has rendered much excavation unnecessary.’
The layers of Haslingden Flags outcropping on the valley tops and sides were in great demand to pave the streets of Victorian towns and cities. In many places the flags outcrop on the moor top and moor edge close to surface, and large open excavations are obvious. Where the best layers of flag (often named ‘lonkey’) are deeper below surface or lower down the valley side then tunnels are driven and large scale ‘pillar and stall’ mining was carried out. Attempting to move thick overburden without mining would have been expensive and time consuming as modern earth moving machinery did not come into use until the early 1900s.
What remains in the hillsides are tunnel entrances to a grid –pattern complex of vast chambers separated by pillars of rock at frequent intervals to support the roof. To create the chambers, the rock getters would pick out a weaker layer above the best stone. Often working on their sides with only shoulder height to move in, they would excavate a narrow ledge to create a working space, then work downwards on the strong rock with wedges and crowbars. Both the Lower and Upper Haslingden Flags were mined and distribution is widespread.
Our earliest records of stone mines are from the 1820s at Tong End Pasture, Whitworth; but they probably reached their peak from the 1870s onwards. Many of the larger mines closed before the First World War, although other proprietors continued until the 1930s.
My Visit
I have wanted to visit this mine for a few years now, snow stopped my last attempt a couple of years ago.
I have spoken to a couple of people who have been down, one vows never to visit the place again, the 2nd a very experienced caver managed to get lost for a bit and had concerns about the air quality in some of the sections. A brief Google before setting off found quite a lot of comments regarding how unstable the mine is, so what could possibly go wrong!
A quick wander around the quarries I found a suitable opening and disappeared underground, it soon became apparent that the walls were made of Weetabix.
What was also evident was the floor profile profiled the shape of the roof, now was that due to rock fall? I was beginning to think these stories were true.
Once you’ve been in for a bit, you get use to what looks potentially like hanging death, after all I’ve rock climbed on some of the local quarries and the rock isn’t that much better (mind you that’s Lancashire Gritstone for you).
Having not known what to expect and having heard it was also a maze of tunnels I had brought paper and a pencil to draw a rough drawing, it was at this point I was glad that I had, tunnels splitting off in all directions.
I don’t know if the rock had got any better at this point or just that I had got used to it, but I could hear the sound of running water, on turning the corner I found the source of the noise; a small stream coming through a hole in the roof, daylight was also visible and a sign saying exit made me think that was the trip over, well apart from the many side passages I had bypassed on the way here.
There was also a helpful sign saying death on one of the side tunnels which I thought would be worth avoiding.
Also lurking in this section was the remains of either a cow or horses head, possibly it had ventured down that side tunnel or this mine had once been a hideout of the Mafia.
A nice prop, so tried a bit of artiness.
Looking up at the source of the daylight and stream.
Every trip if you have time deserves a selfie; it also shows the general scale of the tunnels. There were only a couple of stoops in all the sections I visited, with the odd section higher and a few more open areas.
I soon picked up another larger adit rather than surfacing at the hole, old timber trusses still holding up the roof. There were many side passages leading off the main adit appearing to join with other larger adits in various states of collapse.
Having not read up too much about this mine and the techniques used to construct it, I had my Eureka moment at this point, I considered the whole system was on some kind of grid system, the many pillars and side tunnels I had passed made up this endless grid.
Another timber roof prop, not really propping anymore.
One thing that becomes apparent is the amount of markings, bits of string and symbols whick mark the way, where to I don’t know though. Some of the string now lies under rock falls, parts of markings have fallen way or again buried by rock falls and some I feel may just be red herrings.
The sound of running water gets stronger, following it takes me up a steep scree slope to a small cavern where an old water tank fills from the drips through the roof.
There’s also the remains of old scaffold and corrugated iron sheets, possibly an old shelter at one point?
The water tank had a nice outflow, worth standing in the deluge of drips to capture.
After a few hours down here and running out of paper to draw my map I was glad to see this, looking at the floor this section had been well travelled.
20 minutes later this was the last sign I saw, the labyrinth was getting more complicated it seemed and I had lost track with my map.
A quick skirt around and even though there were plenty of way marks, bits of string and trodden passages I made the decision to retrace the way I’d come in as none gave the confidence it would lead me to an exit.
I was pretty glad that I did as I passed the remains of these barrels on the way out.
Getting back was a lot quicker, but was glad when I did see light at the end of the tunnel, all in all I was down the mine for 3 ½ hours.
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As for my map, I’m glad I took the time to scribble some key features, it also gave me a sense of scale as there was so much that I just walked past, who knows I could have been 50 meters from the exit when I turned back.
Well that was it for this visit, I’ll no doubt be back in the near future as I didn’t find the underground crane and there are so many passages to explore.
Did it live up to all the horror stories I had heard of this mine? Well it is a bit loose in places, and the ground underfoot is a bit precarious at times. I had no issues with air quality. I think the main problem down here is just the vast size and complex nature of the tunnels, it’s hard to quantify this; best I can do is add this I found while researching the mine afterwards
“it is well known for been hard to navigate and there has been various cave rescues from here, the best been in 1989 when a group managed to end up stuck in there for 3 days after taking a wrong turn”
Be warned and don’t trust my map, I ended coming out in Grimsby
Cheers,
TLR.
History
Facit Mine taps into the Haslingden series of sandstone deposits, a quite hard rock, which was used for paving flags, machine beds, construction and later hardcore and aggregate for motorway construction
Some quarries in the area are now reopened with small scale production of flag stones and other products. Despite the abundance of quarries in the area : Facit, Britannia, Lands, Abraham etc; mine workings are very common – as the best stone is often found under thousands of tons of overburden and inferior stone – known as “ feight “, so adits were sunk and the stone excavated from pillar and stall workings
Tramways remains that carried the stone down to the valley floor cross ever hill and in the late 19th century , the rail line from Accrington to Rochdale was opened – allowing ease of transport .
These days the quarries seem to be used for off-road vehicles and motorbikes, most if not all will be totally unaware of what lurks below.
General History on the Pillar and Stall Technique
‘It is not generally known that drifts are now made underground for the purpose of stone getting, but such is the fact, and this kind of work renders the life of the quarrymen doubly dangerous. This mode of mining, however, obviates the removing of considerable amount of “bearing,” which would otherwise be very necessary. In times past, they thought little of bearing or cutting away earth to the depth of 20 or 30 feet, if thereby plenty of good stone could be afterwards procured; but the undermining system now adopted has rendered much excavation unnecessary.’
The layers of Haslingden Flags outcropping on the valley tops and sides were in great demand to pave the streets of Victorian towns and cities. In many places the flags outcrop on the moor top and moor edge close to surface, and large open excavations are obvious. Where the best layers of flag (often named ‘lonkey’) are deeper below surface or lower down the valley side then tunnels are driven and large scale ‘pillar and stall’ mining was carried out. Attempting to move thick overburden without mining would have been expensive and time consuming as modern earth moving machinery did not come into use until the early 1900s.
What remains in the hillsides are tunnel entrances to a grid –pattern complex of vast chambers separated by pillars of rock at frequent intervals to support the roof. To create the chambers, the rock getters would pick out a weaker layer above the best stone. Often working on their sides with only shoulder height to move in, they would excavate a narrow ledge to create a working space, then work downwards on the strong rock with wedges and crowbars. Both the Lower and Upper Haslingden Flags were mined and distribution is widespread.
Our earliest records of stone mines are from the 1820s at Tong End Pasture, Whitworth; but they probably reached their peak from the 1870s onwards. Many of the larger mines closed before the First World War, although other proprietors continued until the 1930s.
My Visit
I have wanted to visit this mine for a few years now, snow stopped my last attempt a couple of years ago.
I have spoken to a couple of people who have been down, one vows never to visit the place again, the 2nd a very experienced caver managed to get lost for a bit and had concerns about the air quality in some of the sections. A brief Google before setting off found quite a lot of comments regarding how unstable the mine is, so what could possibly go wrong!
A quick wander around the quarries I found a suitable opening and disappeared underground, it soon became apparent that the walls were made of Weetabix.
What was also evident was the floor profile profiled the shape of the roof, now was that due to rock fall? I was beginning to think these stories were true.
Once you’ve been in for a bit, you get use to what looks potentially like hanging death, after all I’ve rock climbed on some of the local quarries and the rock isn’t that much better (mind you that’s Lancashire Gritstone for you).
Having not known what to expect and having heard it was also a maze of tunnels I had brought paper and a pencil to draw a rough drawing, it was at this point I was glad that I had, tunnels splitting off in all directions.
I don’t know if the rock had got any better at this point or just that I had got used to it, but I could hear the sound of running water, on turning the corner I found the source of the noise; a small stream coming through a hole in the roof, daylight was also visible and a sign saying exit made me think that was the trip over, well apart from the many side passages I had bypassed on the way here.
There was also a helpful sign saying death on one of the side tunnels which I thought would be worth avoiding.
Also lurking in this section was the remains of either a cow or horses head, possibly it had ventured down that side tunnel or this mine had once been a hideout of the Mafia.
A nice prop, so tried a bit of artiness.
Looking up at the source of the daylight and stream.
Every trip if you have time deserves a selfie; it also shows the general scale of the tunnels. There were only a couple of stoops in all the sections I visited, with the odd section higher and a few more open areas.
I soon picked up another larger adit rather than surfacing at the hole, old timber trusses still holding up the roof. There were many side passages leading off the main adit appearing to join with other larger adits in various states of collapse.
Having not read up too much about this mine and the techniques used to construct it, I had my Eureka moment at this point, I considered the whole system was on some kind of grid system, the many pillars and side tunnels I had passed made up this endless grid.
Another timber roof prop, not really propping anymore.
One thing that becomes apparent is the amount of markings, bits of string and symbols whick mark the way, where to I don’t know though. Some of the string now lies under rock falls, parts of markings have fallen way or again buried by rock falls and some I feel may just be red herrings.
The sound of running water gets stronger, following it takes me up a steep scree slope to a small cavern where an old water tank fills from the drips through the roof.
There’s also the remains of old scaffold and corrugated iron sheets, possibly an old shelter at one point?
The water tank had a nice outflow, worth standing in the deluge of drips to capture.
After a few hours down here and running out of paper to draw my map I was glad to see this, looking at the floor this section had been well travelled.
20 minutes later this was the last sign I saw, the labyrinth was getting more complicated it seemed and I had lost track with my map.
A quick skirt around and even though there were plenty of way marks, bits of string and trodden passages I made the decision to retrace the way I’d come in as none gave the confidence it would lead me to an exit.
I was pretty glad that I did as I passed the remains of these barrels on the way out.
Getting back was a lot quicker, but was glad when I did see light at the end of the tunnel, all in all I was down the mine for 3 ½ hours.
As for my map, I’m glad I took the time to scribble some key features, it also gave me a sense of scale as there was so much that I just walked past, who knows I could have been 50 meters from the exit when I turned back.
Well that was it for this visit, I’ll no doubt be back in the near future as I didn’t find the underground crane and there are so many passages to explore.
Did it live up to all the horror stories I had heard of this mine? Well it is a bit loose in places, and the ground underfoot is a bit precarious at times. I had no issues with air quality. I think the main problem down here is just the vast size and complex nature of the tunnels, it’s hard to quantify this; best I can do is add this I found while researching the mine afterwards
“it is well known for been hard to navigate and there has been various cave rescues from here, the best been in 1989 when a group managed to end up stuck in there for 3 days after taking a wrong turn”
Be warned and don’t trust my map, I ended coming out in Grimsby
Cheers,
TLR.
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