Devil's Gorge (Mines)

Subject: Devil''s Gorge (Mines) Sun 17 May 2009, 9:55 am

Location
SJ 189 642

Directions
Park at the top of Pantymwyn by the footpath that leads to Devil’s Gorge and walk down the path, across a stile/gate and follow the path through the woods and down past the bridge over Devil’s Gorge to the river below.

The river (Alyn) is generally dry in summer and running in winter

Access
No known permissions required

Suggested Equipment
None

Length
Mine #1 ~ 400 feet
Mine #2 ~ 400 feet
Mine #3 ~ Unknown
Mine #4 ~ 150 feet
Mine #5 ~ 300 feet
Mine #6 ~ 200 feet
Mine #7 ~ 40 feet
Mine #8 ~ 10 feet
Mine #9 ~ 50 feet (to cave passage)

Flood risk
Mine #1 ~ None Known
Mine #2 ~ None Known
Mine #3 ~ The lower adit is flooded
Mine #4 ~ None Known
Mine #5 ~ None Known
Mine #6 ~ None Known
Mine #7 ~ None Known
Mine #8 ~ None Known
Mine #9 ~ None Known

Mine Attributes
Mine #1 ~ Unknown
Mine #2 ~ Unknown
Mine #3 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #4 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #5 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #6 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #7 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #8 ~ Unknown, possibly lead
Mine #9 ~ Unknown

Description

Mine #1
This mine is located in Devil’s gorge itself and has a stupidly large entrance (marked on the map above as “Balrog Cave” (a name given to it in respect of it’s huge size)). The entrance inclines downwards for around 100 feet where the floor levels out and is generally filled with around 1 foot of water. The mine remains huge at all times with the ceiling being around 100 foot high.

Interestingly, there is evidence that water flows into the mine and as the water level never seems to increase, water must be leaving the mine at the same rate. There is no apparent way for the water to leave except perhaps at the rear of the mine which appears to be “dead” with dirt and wood (but perhaps is not).

Mine #2
Situated immediately above and slightly to the left (as you look at it) of mine #1. This entrance is only around 8 feet in height and facilitates an adit which seems to follow a mined vein of something and quickly becomes taller. Halfway along this single passaged mine is a shaft leading to the surface which is close to the stile you cross when you walk from Pantymywyn down to Devil’s Gorge.

Mine #3
This is a difficult mine to locate. Following the Leete path away from the gorge, the entrance is off to the right a couple hundred yards away. The entrance is a metal grate which will be invisible due to the fauna and you will need all your mine detecting skills just to locate it’s probably site.

Inside the grate is a laddered shaft in poor condition which leads down to a flooded adit which has not been explored. (it is flooded to chest depth)

Mine #4
Situated downstream from Devil’s Gorge, this mine is the first marked “X” on the map above on the left hand bank of the river (marked incorrectly as caves).

It is a little difficult to spot as it is set back around 30-40 feet away from the river and the entrance is partly backfilled.

This mine is dry but relatively short and without any features.

Mine #5
Around 100 yards further downstream that mine #4 (and marked as the second “X” on the map above). This mine is similar to mine #4 and is also basically featureless

Mine #6
Further again downstream and just passed a metal footbridge over the river and this time on the right is the entrance to mine #6. This is around 60 feet or more away from the riverbank (just past the bridge) and is also tricky to find as it is almost in the woodland floor.

The entrance is low down and facilitates an immediate hands & knees crawl for around 100 feet until you reach a collapse. Passing over the collapses takes you to the left where you will quickly arrive at another (impassable) collapse.

Mine #7
A bit further downstream from Mine #6 and this time closer to the riverbank is the entrance for mine #7 (incorrectly marked as “cave 3ft height” on the map above).

This requires a quick duck then you arrive in a collapsed chamber with evidence of a mini-gauge railway. It is my understanding that the passage here has been deliberately collapsed in recent times as the passageway beyond was extremely unstable and unsafe.

This mine has also been named “Spider Mine” in recognition of the stupidly large numbers of spiders who inhabit the entrance area.

Mine #8
This mine is further downstream again and the entrance is at the beginning of a large outcrop of rock which stands very tall against the river (marked as a “gorge” on the map above).

This mine is collapsed almost immediately at the entrance and although it would be an easy dig …. There are plenty of shakeholes very close by suggesting that the adit(s) below have suffered numerous collapses.

Mine #9
This mine is actually on the Leete path itself and is marked on the map above as “Walk in cave”.

In fact, the mine is a small quarry of the rock face standing to attention at the side of the Leete path but which intrudes on a natural cave. It is probable that Old Man saw a natural stream (dry?) coming out of the rock and chose to investigate.

The mine itself is little more than a single cavern but the phreatic passage remains intact at the rear. This passage has been backfilled with non-indigenous scree to prevent access. The removal of this scree would facilitate a belly crawl – to where who knows ?

Unexplored Passages
It may be worth tracing the water in Mine #1.

The belly crawl in Mine #9 remains scree-filled and unexplored.

Digs
None Known

Links
None Known