james cartwright
15 years ago
Could any one tell me if there is much to see the deep adit at Blaen Ceulen.I fined this a interesting little site especially the great story of the little wonder steam engine originally from the castle hotel in Aberystwth that pumped depths of the mine. no one seems to know if its is still down there. the last time I was up there the deep adit did look accessible if a bit wet and muddy
That hole aint gona dig it's self boy[/b]
Graigfawr
15 years ago
A few hundred feet of crosscut with two short drivages on the left) to a large flattish stope with unstable rubble on the floor (crosscut blocked - climb up and trend right to by-pass fall and regain cross cut at far end of chamber), beyond which the crosscut continues past two short drivages on the left and one short drivage on the right, to end. Mud stals and formations in various places, especially the first and third drivages on the left and the innermost end of the crosscut. General lack of mining remains.

The third drivage on the left seems to align on the three surface shafts lying further west, but this drivage is blocked.

Other open entranes on this sett:

(1) a wet trial level at the extreme north east of the sett (located 290m NE of deep adit portal)

(2) rock cut shaft NE of deep adit portal, located just NE of site of a quadrant on the line of surface wire rope that drove the pups in the shaft (this level is located 85m NW of deep adit portal)

(3) shaft at W end of sett, at end of surface run of wire rope to pump the shaft. The shaft has subsided into an open stope to west; there are two surface subsidence areas immediately to west, the western one is open into the underlying stope, the eastern one is a grassy hollow. (shaft is located 250m ENE of portal of deep adit; the western subsidence hole is located 20m west of the shaft). I have not explored this shaft of the related subsidence holes; the NCMC newsletter of 5/1973 state that they found "a shaft at Blaencaelan" (presumbaly this one) to be 140 feet deep.

Further west is the Llechwedd Llwyd sett - little more than trails, all levels and adits seem to be run-in.

Further east are the Bwlch-y-garreg trails - pretty ephemeral. The level numbered (1) above may in fact be the westernmost of the Bwlch-y-garreg trials - I am unsure of the sett boundry in this area.

To the SSW, just upslope of Blaencaelan farmhouse, are the trials that comprise West Blaencaelan - seem to comprise two levels and a shaft a short distance upslope.
james cartwright
15 years ago
That’s very helpful thanks very much for your Information. I will probably take a look up there on Wednesday just to finish my photo catalogue of the place. I may also ask the farmer if I can clear the deep adit as it is getting rather overgrown .

That hole aint gona dig it's self boy[/b]
Graigfawr
15 years ago
Glad it was useful (the underground information is 25 years old, mind); let us know how you get on!
james cartwright
15 years ago
yea will ceep you up to date on it
That hole aint gona dig it's self boy[/b]

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