just a heads up been told some info about the entrance into West Pastures Mine is a bit unstable with a new land slip i don't no the full in's and out of the situation will try and get over there in the weekend and see whats what so just letting folks to be careful around the entrance we no it never been the best but just check it before going in

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I was in there a few months back. From what I remember some of the roof timbers between the two metal doors were looking worse for wear and were starting to sag and bow.
Colin.

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Still eminently do-able, but the bank vault door is no longer able to pivot fully owing to the sagging roof timbers. A couple of hard winters might bring it down completely.

A small accumulation of water in the entrance means soggy knees and elbows for an otherwise dry trip.

BTW has anyone been along the main level where it gets wet beyond the flats? Enquiring minds want to know!

MARK

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Presumably you mean heading outbye along the main level from beyond the flats? Inbye it doesn't go much further.

Heading outbye, apart from being a bit damp it is quite interesting - best bit is a hole in the floor to a sub level that the first person through gets a good look at and everyone else falls in as the swirling mud blocks any view.

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Inbye. Go all the way through the flats as far as possible, then theres a LH drop-down only 6ft to the horse level in limestone, which has standing water to about thigh-deep. A small steel ladder is thoughtfully placed for those with really little legs! Time always seems to be running out when I get to this spot, so we just head (wimp-) outbye without going for a bath!

MARK

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IIRC it just goes on as a level with some heavily mineral collected mineralisation near the end. I can't remember how much further it goes, 50m maybe.

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Still eminently do-able, but the bank vault door is no longer able to pivot fully owing to the sagging roof timbers. A couple of hard winters might bring it down completely.

A small accumulation of water in the entrance means soggy knees and elbows for an otherwise dry trip.

BTW has anyone been along the main level where it gets wet beyond the flats? Enquiring minds want to know!
You get right to the forehead Mark ;D
The original dig by SAMUK was a simpler affair, a large steel beam holding the mud bank up through the 80's and early 90's however the beam developed and distressing bow in it and got more precarious towards the end of its life so assuming this is indeed the current state of play extreme caution should be taken entering especially during heavy rain as the mud and clay may well give the mine explorer a nice example of its rheological properties ;D
MARK

extreme caution should be taken entering especially during heavy rain as the mud and clay may well give the mine explorer a nice example of its rheological properties ;D
MARK

Its Weardale - when is it ever NOT raining?? :thumbup:

AFAICS Nowt wrong with the steelwork, Rob, its the timbering which has its eye on a Newton Award. If they'd only used Armco for the portal roof, this would be a very boring thread ::)

MARK

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extreme caution should be taken entering especially during heavy rain as the mud and clay may well give the mine explorer a nice example of its rheological properties ;D
MARK

Its Weardale - when is it ever NOT raining?? :thumbup:

AFAICS Nowt wrong with the steelwork, Rob, its the timbering which has its eye on a Newton Award. If they'd only used Armco for the portal roof, this would be a very boring thread ::)

MARK

Hey you said you were good for one more good dig ... :lol:
This one you could take ur armchair to...

Hey you said you were good for one more good dig ... :lol:
This one you could take ur armchair to...

I think I'd still want to dig if even I had to take my wheelchair along! :thumbup:

Seriously though, if WP collapsed I'd not be in too much of a rush to labour over it. Nice, but I'll leave it for another generation to tackle. A project needs to have serious unvisited, or connectivity potential to merit investment!

MARK

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Might drop by on Thursday afty, see what exactly is going on at WP

MARK

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Might drop by on Thursday afty, see what exactly is going on at WP

MARK

Take ur camera!! 😉

Put a length of plastic twinlock pipe in, job done.

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Had a quick look up before night shift tonight.

Its in a sorry state, clay and some fines making its way through past the old timbers from the area of the outside door right up to and just beyond the vault door (as per pete wards post on facebook.) Bankside above looks none to happy either, big old tree with a couple of foot overhang is looking more and more precarious each time.

Looking at the amount up there the front door is going to be well buried if it all goes together.

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Well!...at last the geology may be protected.

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Don't think theres anything left to protect pete, sadly, would have loved to have seen it before it was cleaned out. Seems to be the way things happen in and around weardale.

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Few years back I was surprised to hear there was enough left for it to get a weekly 'harvest' :lol:

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Had a look in last night with legend rider and I must say, it doesn't look any worse than when I was last here about a year ago. There is slippage down the steep bank above the outer 'cupboard under the stairs' metal door. Quite a bit of loose rock, mud and twigs had built up in front of the door preventing it from opening. Something else that was preventing it from opening was the fact that someone had fitted a large bolt and two lock nuts securely fastening the door to the frame. These were done up very tight and took a lot of effort to remove. Once the outer door was opened we had a peek inside. The weak point is the round timber forming the roof between the outer door and the 'bank vault' door about six feet inbye. This is very rotten and I think all that is holding up the roof here is possibly the roots from the tree growing out of the bank at an angle. A shimmy under the bank vault door and we were in for a look around. Despite not being very extensive it is a very interesting mine.
We replaced the nuts and bolt arrangement when we left.
Colin.

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As far as I've been led to believe the bolt was replaced by the farmer from the place up behind Noah ark, forget the name, funny little fella.

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Did a very good job! The bolt had really been torqued up to draw the door hard on to the frame. Two locknuts on the inside (****** to get to!) and thread locking compound too! Obviously looks like he wants to keep people out.
Just fancied a look in and to take some photographs in case I never get the chance again. Also popped my SRT cherry at the first junction inbye - bit late at 56 years but still life in the old dog yet. Colin.

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