You've all probably seen the coverage of the flooding in Swaledale on the 30th July around Grinton, Fremmington & Reeth (and Arkengarthdale), and you might be wondering what the concequences it has had for our mining heritage.
Surfice to say it has not been good.
I took a walk up the route of Cogden Gill yesterday (or atleast attempted to) from Cogden Hall, where the farmers bridge has washed out (which was also a bridleway that led to some pits on Cogden Heugh), up the gill to the lime kilns by Sharrow Hill and down to the smelt mill. The mill itself (which was recently cleaned out to expose the floor) has been inundated by the flood waters, filling it with mud and rock, and washing out anything that had been left inside. Outside the covered stream, fine stone arched culvert has been ripped away, and bits of the roof that held together because of the motar have been dumped further down stream. The old mill dam has a huge gap in it, with mud and debris spread over a wide area.
At Devis Hole a large portion of the spoil heap has been washed away, and the rest is being used by the shooting estate to repair the tracks before the "Glorious 12th".
Up at How Mine, the spoil heaps have again been reduced in size by the torrent of water that must have come down Ridley Hush. The sheer amount of loose rock that has come down here is hard to comprehend, and the entrance to How Adit has been completely buried. How Hush is now hanging 8-10ft above the new stream bed.
I hear too, on the grapevine, that Sleigill has washed away several bridges, and that there is a 30ft precipice where the path up the side of the gill once went. I'm also quite sure that the Arkle went through the tunnel near Storthwaite.
I suppose only time will tell how much damage has been done to the two Dales.

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Video taken today by John Cameron at the location of the now buried Devis Hole entrance.

[youtube]05uZuifoKeA[/youtube]

Epic. So a spot of digging is required there!

Chris.

Yep. The estate is kindly lending us a digger one evening and we’re opening the entrance right out and dropping some concrete tubes in at an angle something like Lucy Tongue. I’ll post here when we get it organised as any spare hands would be appreciated.

Also there’s been a big fall in Danby on the main level at one of the cross veins. Many tons of sludge have run down from the stope and filled the level and a huge section of the stope sidewall had peeled off. We managed to dig through an make it passable but needs timbering to make it safe so be cautious if you’re in there in the near future.

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Count me in. Might be able to get plastic pipe if you don't have a free source already.

Any chance you can reopen How Mine Adit as well? It has vanished.

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Hi Chris,our group ventured up to devis on Thursday night and 3 of us had a short dig and exposed the level entrance,there will be no need for a digger and concrete piping as it was only loose gravel about 3 ft deep,I'm going back up this Thursday with a mate from reeth and possible another lad from leyburn where I'm from to finish off,before we left we temporarily covered back in with big flat stones as weather for the next few days wasnt great,regards,lilo

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Anyone know if any of the Gunnerside mines were affected ??

No damage in GG, the rain missed the upper dale.

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Good stuff 😉

From Gunnerside go towards Reeth and turn left at Low Row.
Over the top you get to Surrender Mill and bridge.
keep going over the fells and you reach a ford with an adjacent footbridge. One of my favourite spots.
Ruined!

Where there was once a pleasant grassy area, people would camp, overnight, picnic, play ball games etc, now a rock strewn mess.

🔗118781[linkphoto]118781[/linkphoto][/link]

The sign was surrounded by grass.

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Wow, I know that spot well. Fell off my motorbike going through the ford a couple of years ago.......slippy things those fords !! :-[

Looks totally unrecognisable there !! 😢

The footbridge is OK but a large patch of tarmac from over the road has been lifted and dumped next to the bridge. The place is a mess.

🔗118790[linkphoto]118790[/linkphoto][/link]

However, a few hours work with a digger and load of topsoil would sort it.

If you carry on to Langthwaite, turn left towards the mill, then go right heading for Barnard Castle, you pass a farm on the left.
There was a sloping meadow in front of the farmhouse, its now 'the Rockies'. The road there is undermined and there are cones everywhere.

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Cant remember the name of the dam that is right at the top of old gang,about 3-4 miles up near the last shooting hut,but that I've been told by the land owners is absolutely f****d,that's about the top of gunnerside gill

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This the place?

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1015855 

That's a shame, it's lovely right up the top at the dams ??

I don't think it can be Blakethwaite, else it would have effected GG, and there was no damage. I shall be able to head up that way in a couple of Sundays time for a closer inspection.

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