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Report - - Moel Fferna, Llangollen, Jan18 | Mines and Quarries | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Moel Fferna, Llangollen, Jan18

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albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
As the weekend approached, so did another explore for myself @EOA and @monk. Seems we are a good trio of bell ends and something usually goes wrong somewhere down the line and Moel Fferna wasn’t going to let us (or shall I say me) down.

Anyway, Myself and @EOA started the day with our customary maccies breakfast (minus the spiced cookie latte this time) we then met @monk nearer to the mine. We’d heard the walk was a bit of a pig upto the mine so we opted to utilise the jeep which took us as close as we could manage, but still a bit of a walk away. Ah well it saved our legs A LOT. The weather was, well, yeah…. you can see from the pictures!

So after a bit of a trek through the snow we found the air shaft and @EOA worked his ropey magic and rigged up 2 lines for us noobz (me and @monk) to covert absolute pro umbex urbseil down the shaft to have amooch around the mine!

Top day, the mine is bloody huge, unfortunately we didn’t find the bridge of death as we only had wellies and it was a tad too deep for us to carry on that way. So a return trip isin order.

As I said earlier, Moel Fferna wasn’t to let me down. As I was trying to ascend out of the chamber I put all of my weight on my right leg pushed up and POP my knee let go. I managed to get myself out and hobble back to the car. Turns out I have partially tore a ligament off my bone and damaged my meniscus. YAY.

All in all another fucking epic mooch with two top blokes in some mint weather conditions playing with ropes, beers, mines and cameras.

AWESOME
History

Copied from @thekwans post
Early workings tended to be in surface pits, but as the work progressed downwards, it became necessary to work underground. This was often accompanied by the driving of one or more adits to gain direct access to a Level. In some rare instances, such as here (Moel Fferna), there is no trace of surface workings and the workings were entiely underground.

Moel Frerna has chambers which follow the slate vein, connected via a series of horizontal Floors (or 'Levels'). The chambers vary in size and are divided by 'pillars' or walls which support the roof. The floors are connected by 'Inclines' which used wedge-shaped trolleys to move trucks between levels.

At Moel Fferna a team could produce up to 35 tons of finished slate a week. In 1877 they received about 7 shillings a ton for this. After paying wages for the manager, clerks and 'trammers' the company could make a clear profit of twice this amount. This system was not finally abolished until after the Second World War.
Pics

Here we are at the top of the airshaft whilst @EOA rigs it up. (don’t we look like pros?)

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@monk abseiling in. we did have an electron ladder there too but its bloody awkward so it was easier to just abseil in past it.

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@EOA urbseiling in

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The first few sections of the mine are very damp and a pain to photograph due to the amount f moisture in the air.

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This was the flooded section. It was just above wellies but we couldn’t be arsed getting wet feet. @EOA did though because he is a balloon.

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@monk snapping away

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It’s hard to gauge the size of these chambers even with myself in the shot you don’t get a true feel for the sheer scale of them

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Pikied carriages

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RIP ladder

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Some of the Graff

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33ri3 wheelbarrow pushed around by the headless mine man. On the 12th hour of everyday you can hear the squeak of the pikied wheel.

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There was plenty of cool little walkways between the chambers. A winch still in situ up at the top too.

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The most photogenic rusty old pump in existence.

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Last but not least another groupshot underneath the cog support.

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Oh and my x ray from yesterday lolololoololollol

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Oh and if anyone is interested a quick video chucked together.


 
Last edited:

Lenston

Bajo Tierra
Regular User
I hated the trek to this place, it pissed down, a tree had fallen in high winds so we had to leave the cars at the main road. Put that together with getting out in the dark, hours late and having to cancel a call that went to cave rescue. All in all a good day :)
 

EOA

Exploring with Bob
28DL Full Member
Cracking write up of the days shenanigans, chap and accompanying video. :thumb

One day we're going to find a mine with a cart that still works and we can and most certainly will fly down the tracks on it. On that day, someone is, well probably all three of us are, going to get properly injured.
 

Ojay

Admin
Staff member
Admin
One day we're going to find a mine with a cart that still works and we can and most certainly will fly down the tracks on it. On that day, someone is, well probably all three of us are, going to get properly injured.

Get to the chert mine in Bakewell that has a cart ;)
 

alex17595

Down t'pit
Regular User
This one is definitely on my to do list, maybe in summer when the water has gone down and it's not passing it down.

Penarth has a cart I think but it's bolted chained to the rail
 

albino-jay

g00n Buster
Staff member
Moderator
I hated the trek to this place, it pissed down, a tree had fallen in high winds so we had to leave the cars at the main road. Put that together with getting out in the dark, hours late and having to cancel a call that went to cave rescue. All in all a good day :)


Yeah id hate to do the walk without the jeep taking us up as far as it did! Cave rescue? what happened with that one? Hope everyone was ok.

Cracking write up of the days shenanigans, chap and accompanying video. :thumb

One day we're going to find a mine with a cart that still works and we can and most certainly will fly down the tracks on it. On that day, someone is, well probably all three of us are, going to get properly injured.

Thanks mate, and thanks again for not killing us on the ropes. The cart sounds like a great plan!

Really enjoyed that, particularly the video - can't beat an 80's soundtrack!

Cheers mate, I'm such a sucker for a bit of 80s synth.
 
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