Excelsior Tunnel

Nr. Luckett
Cornwall
OS Grid Ref: SX381724

Sub Brit site visit August 1989


http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/e/excelsior_tunnel/index.shtml 

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/e/excelsior_tunnel_operation_orpheus/index3.html 

Hey peeps, new to this site so bare with me lol. I found this tunnel pinpointed on GE, i live about 30 miles away so thought i'd visit....

I went yesterday hoping to find the place and no luck 😞 so i thought id crack on with some research and try and find some other possible coordinates in a hope that the one i have was wrong,

I found these 3 coordinates (in decimal)

n50.5296° w4.28445°
n50.5283° w4.28444°
N50.5284° w4.285°

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.5296&lon=-4.28445&z=16.6&r=0&src=ggl 

The first being the pinpointed one already on GE. With a lack of a sat navigation (apart from the lame one on the n95) they didnt help much lol.


I jus wondered of anyone has visited, or knows anything about the tunnel. The last visit on subbrit was in 1989 so it maybe badly overgrown, or possibly collapsed.


Just one thing, if anyone is planning to visit there is a small rough road leading to a farm south of the forest, we parked on this road but were soon very kindly asked if we could park at the end near the main road or at the layby on the road. This lane is private.

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Hi,
The tunnel is still there or was a few of years ago but was heavily gated. There are remains of an old cottage/building on site and some dumps, the tunnel is on the left of the track by the building and should be fairly visible.
The tunnel drives roughly S.S.W through the Granite and was supposed to intersect with North Engine Shaft of Kit Hill Mine (Chimney of Engine House preserved on summit of hill) about 110Fathoms down. The intention being to ease drainage off the workings around the shaft but to also intersect any East West tin or copper lodes it encountered along the way. Driving of the tunnel commenced in 1880 but was stopped after a few years about half way to its target, lack of funds is said to be the reason. Tunnel dimensions are roughly 8Ft x 8Ft in the main drives. Some reworking was carried out in the tunnel from the late 30's to about 1946. In 1959, early 1960 the Atomic Energy authority carried out shock wave detection experiments in the tunnel relating to underground explosions (No they didn't blow anything up) erecting an instrumentation hut outside the entrance. Since then it has remained dormant, the original flimsy gate was removed in the 90's and replaced with a very strong metal gate which I photographed in the late 90's and which I believe is still there. I was planning on posting these once certain the new server is running ok.

I too have seen the web sites you mentioned but don't know how underground access is achieved, but the site is still there. I parked near Luckett and walked up a long valley to it (Deerpark I think). The road you went down is interesting as it is shown in 3 maps I have as a public road/lane, yet a house is blocking it.... ???? Hmmmm.

Any way hope that helps. :thumbsup:

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the tunnel is still there and there is a heavy steel gate on it (two in fact) both however are as fare as i know have no lock on them and you can just walk in, the best way is to park sx380,732 and then walk up the track to the entrance @ sx380,723

this shows the gates from the inside:

[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Excelsior-tunnel-Tin-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-005/[/img]

🅱and one of the sidedrives containing a coupleing chamber🅱

[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Excelsior-tunnel-Tin-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-004/[/img]

[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Excelsior-tunnel-Tin-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-003/[/img]


[tweak]Tweaked to correct one of the image links[/tweak]

Nice pics chap. :thumbup:

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Sweet thanx for the posts, good info. i'll head down today and get some photos for ya (not that we are lacking lol) Yeah is funny about that road, guess he thought he had some sort of squatters rights lol but didnt argue. 🙂

Here are all the coordinates ive found plotted...which one?



:confused:

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Just go by ferrets grid ref, his instructions are good to go....
More pics:
[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Excelsior-tunnel-Tin-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-008/[/img]
[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Excelsior-tunnel-Tin-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-007/[/img]

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sweet photos, is weird, i would have seen that, i followed the osgr from subbrit, it must be completely the wrong place! lol

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hope you dont mind i nicked and edited your map DaVa ::)
http://www.aditnow.co.uk/photo/Personal-Album-79-Image-001/ 

Yay found it lol, was right next to where we were looking last time :curse: yeah exactly where ya pinpointed thanx, we got some photos but only from a phone so the flash isnt too bright. The place as you say was unlocked so had no trouble entering apart from the tight squeeze between the bank and the gate (guessing it has collapsed slightly since the photos). There were 3 collapses along the way (mind the nails when crawling over them)the third being followed by water about a foot deep lol, i only had hiking boots so got kinda wet 😞 It amazed me how long it actually was, the tunnel entrance seemed to look like a candle light from the end, I'd love to know where abouts we actually were underground accoring to the map!


I'll be heading down there again next week to get some better photos.

Thanx ferret an iclok for ur help, would probs be still looking for it now.
DaVa

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your welcome :thumbsup:
where you based anyhow DaVa? local to the area?

Yeah live in holsworthy, so not too far, yourself?

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Plymouth mostly. i'm a student.
drop me a pm if you'd like me to show you some of the other sites, i know most of Devon and Cornwall pretty well and east Cornwall especially. always up for mining trips just have the bane of all students ie: no transport and very little money!
cheers for now
ferret.:.

Once again a very sensitive site has been brought to the attention of explorers which should have had more diplomacy attached. Reading the thread it appears that the site was open during the weekend. If this is correct, then someone has removed the lock since last Tuesday evening, as it was intact then. The Duchy of Cornwall (Owners of the site) had gone through great pains to secure this site. Now thanks to some unscrupulous explorer, (that’s if the thread is correct regarding the un-locked gate), will no doubt stir up a hornets nest within the Duchy. It is hard enough as it is acquiring permission to visit underground mining sites from the Duchy, without this sort of occurrence happening. Why couldn’t the person/s squeeze under the gate like everyone else does to gain access, and keep it to themselves, especially due to the sensitivity of the site?
I hope that members of this site do not think I’m being a kill-joy on this particular thread, but remember if people keep breaking off locks, then the entrance will be secured even more securely, which could probably end in no exploration at all.
If anyone is going to visit a sensitive site, then may I suggest that they keep the information to themselves or pass it on through word of mouth? Remember you never know who is on these mining related sites monitoring the threads….
Regards Tin Miner

If access to this 'sensitive' site is an issue here then why has nobody put a sticky on the mine description explaining this or asking them to get in touch with XYZ for info regarding access where it is ultra sensitive (which I am sure the landowner would like).
All I did was try and help someone, for which I don't apologise!
In my short time on here I have requested access data everytime for sites I'm interested in and even mentioned not knowing what the access arrangements were in the post thread, why did no one pick up on that if it was so sensitive, you can't be diplomatic if you don't know there is an issue!
Surely the point of sites like this is for mutual help in doing our interest responsibly and safely and for the benefit of all (including keeping land owners sweet). Its up to the idividual to ask and all of us to tell were we can.
This happens again and again in every interest I have (all have access issues), Airline/Rail Photography, Industrial Archeaology etc etc and its always the same.
If we don't share what we know then the interest suffers and as you rightly say we all lose out.
For example I manage to photograph airliners at the most sensitive sites, why?..... because I do my homework, contact the right sites and they get me all the right info so I don't P**s off the people with guns that patrol these places and that can put you in prison without trial!!
Even then this does not stop idiots who damage walls, break locks, climb over wire fences etc... I see these idiots all the time (as I work in Rail) and the best we can hope to do is encourage a mature safe approach!

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here here. i totally agree with ICLOK
first of all i have known the site for five years plus and have never known there to be a lock on the gate (broken or otherwise), second. the site is as TM says on duchy land but so is a lot of Cornwall ! this do's not mean access is bared.
thirdly. the site is in forestry plantation which the locals regularly use and as fare as i can ascertain always have.
i do not apologize here as i have dun nothing wrong, the information is on the web in several places anyhow and i was only clarifying the matter.
yours .ferret

This mine had a new lock put on it by the Duchy during the middle of last year, and it was still in place last Tuesday evening. Do you think that the Duchy will just laugh this off? - No I don't think so. This is the sort of behaviour that causes all the troubles for access to mine sites which have been brought about by the new "Blame culture." Landowner’s are terrified of being sued by some unscrupulous mine explorer and do their best to secure sites.
The actions of a few individuals will sooner or later spoil any chance of acquiring legal access into many sites.
Please don't get me wrong, as I'm up for open access to all sites, but in the real world it just doesn't happen. TM

No one is defending smashing locks or upsetting landowners.... most of all me. I condemn any such action as stupid and damaging to the hobby. I have a great raport with Landowners and understand all their concerns after 30 years of various interests. I assure you I am most definately in the real world.... I'm a quantified risk assessor amongst other things and work in the railways so I get risk and liability everyday! I think you will find most in this hobby are in the real world too.

If a new lock was there and has been smashed off tell us (not aimed at anybody in particular) and as a hobby lets issue a b*****king to the idiots responsible via a post and on the mines record, thus we demonstrate our support of landowners who would then see we are at least responsible.

Whilst I understand you are upset on this, this just emphasises my view, especially in terms of risk management.

Could anybody new have known a new lock was there and broken off.... NO
Could anybody new have known the site was "sensitive"...NO
Has anybody posted anything re access up to now... NO
Has anybody posted 'new lock' removed.... NO
Is there anything directing anyone new to anyone who might know re access..... NO
Will any data or access info prevent Idiots from seeking out a mine and breaking off a lock..... NO
Will barring all access prevent people accessing the sites.... NO

If the answer to all or some of the above was... YES then I would accept some criticism in directing anyone to a sensitive site.

Sorry to flog this to death but we are all responsible to each other to inform and help each other enjoy this. So lets criticise idiots and not each other as that just makes landowners think the Idiots are part of sites like this, if the Duchy of Cornwall are reading this, we should apologise for the idiots in our hobby, however I would say whilst the Duchy people will be rightly p**sed about this they are also level headed and know that more fencing etc will just cost them money and still not stop the idiots. What they will be looking for is sensible dialogue and self management of our hobby.... especially when it comes to controlling access.

I think everyone should be as responsible as you would have us, but I think we all need to communicate a lot better re access and such subjects....

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My personal observation here would be as follows:
If sensitive sites are listed, then that leaves them open for abuse by more people than the few that already know. TM

How do we know when a sensitive site is sensitive if some one is not totaly clued up on a particula area they may not know any better and list the site which is sensitive with out being aware that it is sensitive

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OMG if i'd known if would have created this much stir i wish id never visited. I totally respect landowners rights and as quoted earlier in this thread i exercised my respect. There was no lock on this gate and did not seem to be any damage too the bolts either. sorry again if iv'e caused a stir for visiting.

Our confrontation with a nearby land owner (apparently we were parked on his road) was brought forward because of his elderly mother threatening to phone the police as there been cars parked recently in the area often. The farmer explained this kindly so we moved to the carpark north of the forest. This isnt to say that these cars were anything to do with the supposed removing of lock(s) but it brought forward my attention to his opinion of recent visitors.

As ben88800 says, the site as far as we all new was not listed as being sensitive so dont see that our visit was a problem.

I now know it is a sensitive site, will respect that and ask permission for future access.
DaVa

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