Report - Nangiles Mine, Cornwall 13/05/07

Griffin · May 13, 2007

Met up for this spur of the moment explore with Ralph85 (who did Shears Shaft the other day :crazy ) and three others. The plan was originally to descend Nangiles shaft, but a lack of anchor points or a drill meant we went for this one instead. It's called Bread and Cheese Shaft for some unknown reason, and it's part of Nangiles Mine which was worked for copper and later tin. It dates back to the 17somethings and was last worked in the 1940s or 50s I think. Wheal Jane owned (owns?) the mineral rights more recently and it was from this mine that a locally infamous discharge of mine water occurred in 1992, which turned the river Carnon and a lot of the sea orange. I won't go into it but it's interesting to read about.

It turned out to be quite big so I dodn't spend much time on photos, so there's not many. I'll get some better ones when I can be bothered.

Anyway, here's the edge of the shaft (Mount Wellington mine in the background)

We had an electron ladder which was just long enough and attached it to a fence post. It's about 30 feet down to a rickety platform.

Once on the platform a small tunnel leads off into the darkness. My memory of this bit is alreads a bit hazy, but there were lots of tunnels going everywhere basically, and they all looked the same (small and orange). We followed our noses, passing under shafts, along little stopes and at one point over a slippery plank over a very deep hole. Left here, right there and we pop out of a small hole to this:

I was pleased! Must be in the modern workings now! We took a right and followed the railway along the arched tunnel. Unfortunately we met this:

...which blocked the way. It doesn't look too scary in the photo but there was a boulder the size of a transit van held up by pure magic, and no route through the fallen stuff.

We turned back and carried on up another tiny tunnel. Found somme more little stopes and stuff but nothing exciting. Then we found some bad air and I went all breathless for a bit, which was scary as f*ck because we had a lot of squeezing to do to get out again. Made it though!

All in all a good Sunday. Need to go back and explore the bits we didn't do, and get some proper photos.

Hopefully Ralph and the crew will post some of their pics?

Ralphh85 · May 13, 2007

Re: Nangiles Mine, Cornwall 13/05/07 Report

well i can fill in few gaps, most my pics are just like sams but not so good cause my camera isnt worth a million pounds

he mensioned the small orange tunnels, they mostly looked like this, but some where much smaller!!

and that dodgy plank we walked over looked like this....

cant really comment any more other than it was a cool trip! i would really like to go back and try an get past the caved in big tunnel.

ow an sam i see what you mean by wheal jane mill is no longer.... more cornish mine history gone forever!!

Ralph

Promethius · May 14, 2007

Re: Nangiles Mine, Cornwall 13/05/07 Report

It was really good to get underground and try out my dad's electron ladder, which has been in our loft since I was a nipper! (Now if only I could get that weird acidic orange ooze off of it...). I didn't get many pics but might be able to add some detail.

This is looking down Bread & Cheese shaft from the top.

Here is Griffin descending the electron ladder:

Another one of Griffon, this time moving into one of the small tunnels which this mine consists of.

This is the main shaft of Nangiles (which Griffin will know more about) which we made our way to underground. Original plan had been to descend this by placing bolts in the adit above, but was curtailed by lack of a drill.

This is the adit above, which we visited in our attempts to suss out the safest & easiest way into the mine.

All in all a fun trip! Thanks to griffin for organising it and Ralph for being first down the ladder (and the somewhat dodgy physics advice!).

Promethius · May 26, 2007

Re: Nangiles Mine, Cornwall 13/05/07 Report

We've been in today and had another look around. There's a crazy Indiana Jones corridor which we avoided last time around because the ceiling is unstable and the floor is old wood over a sizable drop. However, just past there the mine opens up into a large stope and then comes up to a split; there's a ladder going downwards to a lower level and a 10ft climb to a higher level (with water flowing out). Here's the view from the bottom of the ladder (about 15ft).

There is then a stope which goes down roughly 10ft to water with some old wooden floorboards over. There are also a few side tunnels, all dead ends. We walked along the old wooden boards and climbed in between them down onto a lower level. Unfortunately rope/climbing gear will be needed on the other side to get up on the other side to a higher tunnel. So we called it a day; will go back again anon. here's those dodgy planks, one of which was signed 1968 by a previous explorer: