Rustynail
20-10-2012, 08:38 PM
I've not been able to get on here for ages - the last time I tried the site seemed to have gone tits-up. Still, it doesn't look like I'e missed much as the last underround post was over a month ago. What's up? No one go underground anymore?
Anyway... I had a good mooch, with a bunch of fellow underground mentals, around this mine recently. Five hours and a few miles later we re-emerged after seeing about 10% of the place...
A bit of history, nicked from t'interweb n that...
"Rampgill Horse Level was started by the Greenwich Hospital in 1736 following the Scaleburn Moss Vein until it reached Fairhill Vein, this then followed into Rampgill Vein. Rampgill Vein may have been worked as early as 1690. There are references to other veins being worked from much earlier on which join into Rampgill Mine. In 1745 the lease was sold to the London Lead Company who developed the mine at an impressive rate and found the Rampgill Vein and others to be incredibly rich in ore. Altogether Rampgill with all its veins yielded 140,000 tons of lead ore between 1703 and 1886.
By the end of the 19th century most of Rampgill Vein above the water table had been worked out. Between 1899 and 1921 the Vieille Montagne Zinc Company reworked some of the veins in Rampgill Mine and Coalcleugh Mine for zinc ore, with the Rampgill Horse Level being used for access to Coalcleugh Mine. The Rampgill Horse Level was also used as a haulage way via the Hanginshaw Branch Level for the eastern workings of the Middlecleugh and Longcleugh Veins in Smallcleugh Mine. "
Brewery shaft - pipework from the compressed air system.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-002.jpg
Wadorz needed here. In fact they're needed in the whole place. I don't think there's a dry bit in the whole mine.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-009.jpg
Ore chute from a higher level in the mine.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-006.jpg
Whiskey Bottle Corner.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-012.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-013.jpg
Tunnel...
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-016.jpg
More pipework at another shaft.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-018.jpg
Calcite deposits forming stalactites.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-017.jpg
Although this looks like it could be dogshit, I am assured it is dynamite.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-022.jpg
More tunnels but with stonework.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-021.jpg
A crawl through water.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-025.jpg
Roof supports in former collapsed/blown in section. At some time after closure this area was dynamited but was dug out by explorers in the 1980s/90s.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-027.jpg
In some sections of tunnel the original constructors had used concrete and when fitting the shuttering they had covered it with newspaper to help it come unstuck once the concrete was set. This pic shows remains of the newspaper that they used over 100 years ago - still stuck to the concrete ceiling.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-030.jpg
Point lever from underground narrow gauge railway.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-041.jpg
More tunnel...
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-048.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-046.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-059.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-057.jpg
Anyway... I had a good mooch, with a bunch of fellow underground mentals, around this mine recently. Five hours and a few miles later we re-emerged after seeing about 10% of the place...
A bit of history, nicked from t'interweb n that...
"Rampgill Horse Level was started by the Greenwich Hospital in 1736 following the Scaleburn Moss Vein until it reached Fairhill Vein, this then followed into Rampgill Vein. Rampgill Vein may have been worked as early as 1690. There are references to other veins being worked from much earlier on which join into Rampgill Mine. In 1745 the lease was sold to the London Lead Company who developed the mine at an impressive rate and found the Rampgill Vein and others to be incredibly rich in ore. Altogether Rampgill with all its veins yielded 140,000 tons of lead ore between 1703 and 1886.
By the end of the 19th century most of Rampgill Vein above the water table had been worked out. Between 1899 and 1921 the Vieille Montagne Zinc Company reworked some of the veins in Rampgill Mine and Coalcleugh Mine for zinc ore, with the Rampgill Horse Level being used for access to Coalcleugh Mine. The Rampgill Horse Level was also used as a haulage way via the Hanginshaw Branch Level for the eastern workings of the Middlecleugh and Longcleugh Veins in Smallcleugh Mine. "
Brewery shaft - pipework from the compressed air system.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-002.jpg
Wadorz needed here. In fact they're needed in the whole place. I don't think there's a dry bit in the whole mine.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-009.jpg
Ore chute from a higher level in the mine.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-006.jpg
Whiskey Bottle Corner.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-012.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-013.jpg
Tunnel...
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-016.jpg
More pipework at another shaft.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-018.jpg
Calcite deposits forming stalactites.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-017.jpg
Although this looks like it could be dogshit, I am assured it is dynamite.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-022.jpg
More tunnels but with stonework.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-021.jpg
A crawl through water.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-025.jpg
Roof supports in former collapsed/blown in section. At some time after closure this area was dynamited but was dug out by explorers in the 1980s/90s.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-027.jpg
In some sections of tunnel the original constructors had used concrete and when fitting the shuttering they had covered it with newspaper to help it come unstuck once the concrete was set. This pic shows remains of the newspaper that they used over 100 years ago - still stuck to the concrete ceiling.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-030.jpg
Point lever from underground narrow gauge railway.
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-041.jpg
More tunnel...
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-048.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-046.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-059.jpg
http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt319/rustynail2009/Nent2012-057.jpg