Dartmoor Mine

Date:

15 May 2010

Party:

Big Dave, Lionel, Margot, Mike, Jenny, & Rupert

Photos:

Big Dave

In Brief:

This was a mine that we had been planning to revisit for some time, but due to Big Dave's injury last year had been postponed time and time again. Finally today was the day that it all happened, with an relatively early start for one of our trips. We were all to meet at 09:00 at the car park, but Big Dave had to stop for a quick fry up on the way which delayed the proceeding by 15 minuets. After changing, we had a short walk to the entrance shaft, a concrete structure covering the 60 ft drop to the level below.

With no time to waist, Big Dave soon had the pitch rigged ready for the decent, this being a challenging entrance to climb into and out of.

Continued:

Lionel was the first down followed closely by Rupert, Mike and the two girls, with Big Dave following behind. What was the strange whooshing sound, all was clear once we were all down, Lionel was inflating his small inflatable dingy paddling across the water

As this was the first time for the most of the party, Big Dave lead the way East on through thigh deep water into the mine carefully passing a large flooded winze  hidden under the water, with Lionel paddling across.

We pushed onwards into the mine until we reached a crosscut, with the southerly branch leading into a very unstable stope, and the northerly branch ending after a little way. Straight on leading to another stoped out area.

After retracing our steps back to the shaft, we decided to push the westerly section known to be sumpped as it approached the adit mouth. After a short distance, we came across a cross cut to the north leading into a parallel stope, and the remains  of a run in shaft. At the intersection was the remains of a burst barrel.

Further to the west there was another crosscut to the South which ended in a blind drive some distance in, and a little further on the passage suddenly deviated to the north with the water now up to chest level. Margot pushed on through until light was seen entering from the top of the adit entrance. Some discussion was had  about exiting through the narrow adit mouth, but the decision was taken to retrace our steps and climb back out the shaft to grass.

.Write up by  Big Dave

Added 15-05-10