United Cavers Exploration Team

Location
SN 859 940

Directions
When you arrive at Dylife (Sat Nav, road Atlas or ESP) you will find that the main road ploughs straight through an area of flattened spoil beds.

There is an obvious car park here where the road crosses over two streams which meet.

Access
All ungated, no known permissions required

Suggested Equipment
None

Length
Unknown

Flood Risk
One adit has water to chest depth and may flood completely. There is water in other adits with “tide marks” suggesting that the adits have been almost full of water at one time.

Mine Attributes
Lead, Copper, Iron Pyrites (Fool’s Gold)

Description
This mine is staged in two parts â€" follow either of the two streams “upstream”.

The main area appears to be upwards along the left stream (and obvious flattened spoil heaps) where you will come across a flooded shaft, two adits on the left and one adit on the right.

The adit on the right quickly becomes a belly crawl and is backfilled.

The first adit on the left is much more substantial but terminates at a collapse after around 300 yards where someone has abandoned a digging attempt to get past. It is believed the mine passages beyond the collapse are substantial.

The second adit on the left has water to chest depth and was not entered as the roof was also low (and it was the last adit I went in and I was knacked). This adit may also lead into the main workings although the fact that someone has been digging in the previous adit suggests that they do not meet.

Following the right hand stream brings you to an adit on the right with another adit higher above it â€" both are open.

The lower adit is interesting and contains a passable collapse of iron pyrites but has suffered several other collapses and does terminate early at an impassable collapse (possibly after around 300 â€" 400 feet).

The adit above is longer (perhaps by twice as much) and terminates at the vein ending. However, there is a hole in the floor leading down to the lower adit (which is not rigged or bolted) and the hole was not encoutered whilst in the lower adit so it is presumed to be passed the blockage below. Additionally, the lode has been mined upwards and a false floor above could be seen but there was no apparent adit (or any evidence of one) on the outside to access it.

There is also an opencast Roman quarry/mine further upstream.

Both stream beds and all of the spoil beds are littered with galena and other minerals â€" a mineralologist’s dream.

There is also the remains of an old waterwheel (the biggest in Wales) which is currently benefitting from a restoration project (the wheel is not there).

Unexplored Passages
1) The hole in the uppermost adit on the right hand stream side
2) The upper level within the upper level in the adit on the right hand stream side
3) The second adit on the left bank of the left hand stream side
4) The map we had suggested there was at least one more adit but I couldn’t find it


Digs
1) The first adit on the left bank of the left hand stream side has an abandoned dig
2) There is potential for a dig in the lower adit along the right hand stream side

Links
http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Dylife_716/Dylife.asp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/history/pages/dylife_mine.shtml

http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/page22.html

http://www.mindat.org/loc-4925.html

http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/mines/5648.htm

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/wales/powys/hauntings/dylife-lead-mine.html-1

http://history.powys.org.uk/history/llani/dylife1.html

(https://test.anduin.org.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi60.servimg.com%2Fu%2Ff60%2F13%2F40%2F19%2F59%2F100_1310.jpg&hash=3cd901ffd512f11dbc79cce0d10ddf9e6ee0033c) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=1571&u=13401959)

Upper Adit, right hand stream side



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Looking up at the false floor above



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The entrance to the adit is knee deep in water (upper adit, right hand stream side)



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Inside the lower adit, right hand stream side


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Inside the first adit on the left bank of the left stream side



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An example of the minerals on the stream bed (Galena and calcite crystals)




(https://test.anduin.org.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi60.servimg.com%2Fu%2Ff60%2F13%2F40%2F19%2F59%2Fdscf0511.jpg&hash=bf56cf71e573b0b80917c61aac8697dd8812594d) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=1577&u=13401959)

The adit on the right hand bank of the left stream side (belly crawl)




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The said belly crawl



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Taken from inside the first adit on the left bank on the left stream side