We explored a series of abandoned silver mines tucked away in the Derbyshire hillside. These are some of the deep shafts ,interesting calcium formations and old remnants of the miners that used to work these tunnels. Some of these mines can be traced back as far as the early 1800s.
Gells Adit - A nice little lead mine adit lying high above a wooded hillside, this consists of mainly a single mined passageway with short interconnecting oxbows. A tight crawl through a low stone stempled passage soon enlarges to walking height past some unwelcoming collapses, Following this passage on there are four deep holes which we was planning on coming back with our SRT kit to explore but after some research we discovered they don't go anywhere. The first and what looks to be the deepest hole can be crossed by an in-situ rope over a thin plank of wood(best not to look down at this point), a wet section is then traversed with some nice flowstone on the walls in a high rift passage and impressive stacks of miners ''deads''(waste rock). Beyond the wet section the passage continues with a fine stone stempled roof and a couple of side passages that eventually rejoin the main route and finally ends at a fore field.
Bonsall Leys Levels - This large adit entrance which is hard to miss was driven unsuccessfully as a a trial in search of lead ore. Immediately inside the entrance we was greeted with a lake which was filled with rubble and old tyres. this tunnel runs straight under the hillside leading to a couple of waterfalls and finally ending at a fore field which is marked with old pick axe marks and some very nice roof formations.
Slaley sough - despite the name this place isn't really a sough as it lies high above the river and most of it is completely dry, inside we found a few flooded passages ways , some old miners inscriptions and some collapses.
All in all this made for a good afternoon caving.
Gells Adit - A nice little lead mine adit lying high above a wooded hillside, this consists of mainly a single mined passageway with short interconnecting oxbows. A tight crawl through a low stone stempled passage soon enlarges to walking height past some unwelcoming collapses, Following this passage on there are four deep holes which we was planning on coming back with our SRT kit to explore but after some research we discovered they don't go anywhere. The first and what looks to be the deepest hole can be crossed by an in-situ rope over a thin plank of wood(best not to look down at this point), a wet section is then traversed with some nice flowstone on the walls in a high rift passage and impressive stacks of miners ''deads''(waste rock). Beyond the wet section the passage continues with a fine stone stempled roof and a couple of side passages that eventually rejoin the main route and finally ends at a fore field.
Bonsall Leys Levels - This large adit entrance which is hard to miss was driven unsuccessfully as a a trial in search of lead ore. Immediately inside the entrance we was greeted with a lake which was filled with rubble and old tyres. this tunnel runs straight under the hillside leading to a couple of waterfalls and finally ending at a fore field which is marked with old pick axe marks and some very nice roof formations.
Slaley sough - despite the name this place isn't really a sough as it lies high above the river and most of it is completely dry, inside we found a few flooded passages ways , some old miners inscriptions and some collapses.
All in all this made for a good afternoon caving.
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