Location
SJ 023 703
Directions
Take the Henllan to Cefn road and park just before the bridge over Afon Meirchion before arriving at Bont Newydd (do not go to Bont Newydd bridge).
At the Afon Meirchion bridge, take the footpath on the right (as viewed looking downstream) and you will see Afon Meirchion joins the river Elwy almost immediately.
Follow the footpath along the river Elwy for a couple hundred feet and you will see the adit in bank on the right.
Access
Ungated, no known permission required.
Suggested Equipment
None
Length
200-300 feet explored (potentially more)
Flood risk
The entrance is habitually sumped in wet weather and access is generally only possible in late summer. The rest of the mine appears to be dry.
Mine Attributes
Unknown
Description
The entrance appears to be a natural cave with a stream flowing out even in summer. In spring, the wild garlic growing in profuse abundance around this entrance and the idyllic location by the river bank make this a truly enchanting place.
This is a strange place as nothing is known about it and the entrance is very small with little or no evidence it was any bigger. However, inside is the remains of a small railway line which suggests the mine was active enough to warrant a railway investment.
Once past the (usually) sumped entrance, there is a collapse which can easily be climbed over and the water is then lost underground somewhere but can be heard as a furious roar further into the mine.
The passage splits into an overhead and undercrawl passage(s) but merges again within a 100 feet. Here the passage becomes ever narrower and it is necessary to lie down flat and do a coffin role into a side passage where you can again stand up.
Here there appears to be a natural rift passage which is squeezy and unexplored. Inexplicably, there is a tool hammered into the wall with no apparent means of being able to hammer it in as there is no room to swing a hammer.
A relatively short mine (unless the narrow rift widens) with confusing elements such as a virtually impassable entrance, railway and tools jammed in the wall where they couldn’t be.
Unexplored Passages
It is possible that a passage may have missed as the one visit was reasonably quick.
The narrow rift is passable and may open up into something more.
Digs
None Known
Links
None Known
Subject: Dolben Mine 
Mon 02 Mar 2009, 11:45 am
