Sandford Levvy Somersetshire
Went on me todd
Genuine Members wanting access & location details please feel free to PM
:
Sandford Levvy is a horizontal adit. 450m long, running south into the hill. Two crossroads provide short but interesting detours and some difficult climbing in excavated upward extensions.
In 1830, a Mr. Webster, dug the adit in an attempt to locate a worthwhile ore body. A find of galena (Lead Sulfide) was reported and small veins of blende (Zinc) can still be found. It was abandoned soon after as it failed to be a commercial success.
A tight entrance descends into an adit about 1.9m high and 1.5m wide. This horizontal and goes for 450m south into the hill. There are numerous speleothems, flowstone, cave pearls etc. Small deposits of coloured flowstone on walls and floor. A stretch of paving slabs is a relic of WW2 when the Home Guard occupied the mine.. Their paving slab floor and remains of wooden bunks can still be seen.
Although this site is not a protected Hibernaculum it does play host to a group of Lesser Horseshoe Bats which are protected. The Mine itself has a very unique micro-habitat/environment.. the first 10m is inhabited by dozens of large Cave Spiders.. the next 10m by hundreds of Stone Moths.. next 10m by bats and from start to end tens of thousands of Flies which die as the tempreture falls in early winter, then over time the calcite covers them and the leave a spotted pattern on the walls!
The only entrance and exit point,
Tiny space for the home guard.
Tide mark showing the highest water level.
Blende lode.
Intersection showing the angle of the lode.
Quite creepy this one..
Another intersection.
Dead Flies covered in Calcite
Moody intersection.
Huge Phreatic scour on the left.
Playing with myself underground.. ahhhhhhh
Looking down into a 30ft exploratory excavation.
Miners Drilling marks.
Quartz Geode large enough to slide your hand into.
This one fools the eye!
Some parts are really straight.
Large Calcite Flowstone at far end.
Amazing colours!
Just one..
Remains of the Home Guard post.
Heading back to the entrance
Went on me todd
Genuine Members wanting access & location details please feel free to PM
:Sandford Levvy is a horizontal adit. 450m long, running south into the hill. Two crossroads provide short but interesting detours and some difficult climbing in excavated upward extensions.
In 1830, a Mr. Webster, dug the adit in an attempt to locate a worthwhile ore body. A find of galena (Lead Sulfide) was reported and small veins of blende (Zinc) can still be found. It was abandoned soon after as it failed to be a commercial success.
A tight entrance descends into an adit about 1.9m high and 1.5m wide. This horizontal and goes for 450m south into the hill. There are numerous speleothems, flowstone, cave pearls etc. Small deposits of coloured flowstone on walls and floor. A stretch of paving slabs is a relic of WW2 when the Home Guard occupied the mine.. Their paving slab floor and remains of wooden bunks can still be seen.
Although this site is not a protected Hibernaculum it does play host to a group of Lesser Horseshoe Bats which are protected. The Mine itself has a very unique micro-habitat/environment.. the first 10m is inhabited by dozens of large Cave Spiders.. the next 10m by hundreds of Stone Moths.. next 10m by bats and from start to end tens of thousands of Flies which die as the tempreture falls in early winter, then over time the calcite covers them and the leave a spotted pattern on the walls!
The only entrance and exit point,
Tiny space for the home guard.
Tide mark showing the highest water level.
Blende lode.
Intersection showing the angle of the lode.
Quite creepy this one..
Another intersection.
Dead Flies covered in Calcite
Moody intersection.
Huge Phreatic scour on the left.
Playing with myself underground.. ahhhhhhh
Looking down into a 30ft exploratory excavation.
Miners Drilling marks.
Quartz Geode large enough to slide your hand into.
This one fools the eye!
Some parts are really straight.
Large Calcite Flowstone at far end.
Amazing colours!
Just one..
Remains of the Home Guard post.
Heading back to the entrance
