Been posted millions of times but I have never seen anyone silly enough to put a boat in there. So to look at the uppermost flooded level, here goes...
HISTORY:
Silica rock was discovered in these here hills in the 1780s and became a principal component of top quality firebricks. The first tramway was built in 1807, the 'Dinas Fire Brick Co' was inaugurated in 1822 and a brickworks built at Pontwalby. Starting as quarries, the workings soon extended underground and the stone taken through the tunnel to the village. The mines were closed from 1921 to 1930 when a new tramway was built down the river and down the incline ramp or chute. The mines were acquired by 'Richard Thomas and Baldwin', owners of Ebbw Vale steelworks who built the aerial ropeway over the hill. Finally the mine closed in 1964 and after a few years of inactivity the site was cleared in the early 1970s.
Upper Dinas The most extensive mine in the area, and the most recent, is found on the North bank of the Sychrhyd 200m upstream of Bwa Maen, and has three entrances which face the river, and a further ten on the northern side. The triple entrance is to the left of the bridge, and is the mine most frequented by cavers. This is probably the most extensive mine in the area. The upper series is practically a veritable huge chamber where the `Pillar and Stall' method of mining is well illustrated. This large chamber leads towards several alternative entrances in the side of the hill. The large entrance chamber can be followed to the right down dip for a short distance to the flooded section. However, to the left the huge Pillar and Stall chamber leads up dip for some distance only to drop down dip again onto a passage which runs across the whole length of the mine. Above this passage various `entrances' lead to the huge chamber while below is flooded.
REPORT:
Credit here to HMS Boaty McBoatface which is now 15 years old and still going strong despite going into many places not designed for an inflatable.
HISTORY:
Silica rock was discovered in these here hills in the 1780s and became a principal component of top quality firebricks. The first tramway was built in 1807, the 'Dinas Fire Brick Co' was inaugurated in 1822 and a brickworks built at Pontwalby. Starting as quarries, the workings soon extended underground and the stone taken through the tunnel to the village. The mines were closed from 1921 to 1930 when a new tramway was built down the river and down the incline ramp or chute. The mines were acquired by 'Richard Thomas and Baldwin', owners of Ebbw Vale steelworks who built the aerial ropeway over the hill. Finally the mine closed in 1964 and after a few years of inactivity the site was cleared in the early 1970s.
Upper Dinas The most extensive mine in the area, and the most recent, is found on the North bank of the Sychrhyd 200m upstream of Bwa Maen, and has three entrances which face the river, and a further ten on the northern side. The triple entrance is to the left of the bridge, and is the mine most frequented by cavers. This is probably the most extensive mine in the area. The upper series is practically a veritable huge chamber where the `Pillar and Stall' method of mining is well illustrated. This large chamber leads towards several alternative entrances in the side of the hill. The large entrance chamber can be followed to the right down dip for a short distance to the flooded section. However, to the left the huge Pillar and Stall chamber leads up dip for some distance only to drop down dip again onto a passage which runs across the whole length of the mine. Above this passage various `entrances' lead to the huge chamber while below is flooded.
REPORT:
Credit here to HMS Boaty McBoatface which is now 15 years old and still going strong despite going into many places not designed for an inflatable.
