Location
SJ 189 379 (Approx)
Directions
From the roundabout in the centre of the village “Glyn Ceiriogâ€, take “Quarry Road†(it is signed and is also marked as a cul de sac).
Drive up for around a mile and you will see the road forks left and right with a rough layby on the left and the left fork is a private road. Park there.
Walk along the private road (I think it is a public footpath) for 50 yards and you will see a green forestry gate on the right â€" go through it and follow the path to a stream (not very far).
Follow the stream up stream to a large concrete pipe sticking out underneath an overgrown spoil heap â€" that is the entrance.
Access
Open. Access arrangements unknown
Suggested Equipment
None (Wellies)You will get wet.
Length
Numerous chambers and passageways totalling perhaps a mile combined
Flood Risk
There are two flood risks.
The first being a flash flood could conceivably cut off exit through the pipe although it may be possible to escape the mine from a “pit†in the centre of the complex.
The second is more significant. On the lower level there is a dammed chamber which has sprung a small leak at head level in the main passageway. This will ultimately break open. When it does, it will bring debris with it that will likely cause serious injury if any person is in the vicinity. Additionally, the resulting flash flood is very likely to fill the drainage passageway in total if only for a short time.
Mine Attributes
Slate
Description
A veritable catacombs of odd chambers and passages. In fact, it appears to be two mines connected via a “pit†(open working to surface).
Entry is made through a concrete pipe which, after around 10 metres, takes you directly into the workings along the drainage level. All the workings seem to be on one level. The passages go in non-uniform directions with chambers hither and thither. Very quickly you arrive at open air with some open cast quarrying although this is totally isolated and apparently unapproachable from any other vector.
It is possible to reach a much larger “pit†by two ways; Firstly by following the internal stream upwards until you pop out of the first mine or, alternatively, by locating a chamber with a “window†in the upper right corner which also takes you to the pit.
Once in this large, overgrown pit, you will see a huge waterfall â€" the entrance to the second part of the mine is not immediately obvious but is under the waterflow just after the waterfall hits the ground. It is very hard to enter here without getting a minor soaking. (Summer time may be an exception).
Inside there are many interesting things to see including small artefacts to huge, wall sized man-made features. There are also several flooded chambers with divers lines attached.
A significant collapse has blocked part of the mine (perhaps the largest part) and the whole mine can be thoroughly explored in an afternoon.
Unexplored Passages
A few passages and chambers are known to have been missed from other reports
Digs
None
Links
http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Cambrian_106/Cambrian_19072.pdf
http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Cambrian_106/Cambrian.asp
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Cambrian-Slate-Mine-2/
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?t=1451
http://www.divernet.com/other_diving_topics/cave_diving/160915/great_mines.html
http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=12104.0
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=58110
http://www.derbyscc.org.uk/album/album_view_detail.php?album=29
http://nwex.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8828
Seems that you all had a fantastic trip. Sorry we could not come but were driving south to Tunbridge Wells. Managed to get two more helmets on Ebay so we now have at least six!
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I had a brief wander in here today.
First shot in a long time that I'm very pleased with. Apart from a little level tweaking, and a touch of sharpening after resizing, it's pretty much as it was out of the Camera. Shot on an EOS 400D using a Meyer Optik Gorlitz 30/3.5 in M42. ISO 100, f16-ish (This lens has a Click-less aperture)
And another I'm fairly happy with. Shot with a Pentacon 50/1.8
bloody show offfff :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:
Fantastic pictures!
Don't take any notice of ML.
He's just jealous - because he does not understand cameras.
[quote="JohnNicholson" post=9024]Fantastic pictures!
Don't take any notice of ML.
He's just jealous - because he does not understand cameras.[/quote]
it's not just camera's that are hard to understand it' cavers as well.
never understud them either :silly: :blink: :silly: :blink: :silly: :blink:
Cheers John!
[quote="mike leahy" post=9025]it's not just camera's that are hard to understand it' cavers as well.
never understud them either[/quote]
My missus says we're all fecking mental, and she doesn't understand either... Does this mean Mike's secretly into Pink and Sparkly things, Fluffy baby animals, and Make-up? People who don't understand Cavers/Mine Explorers usually have a common intrest in one or more of those things! :evil:
Superb pictures :woohoo: