Whilst on the subject of technology it’s worth mentioning what is perhaps the most important single piece of mine engineering in Cornwall’s long history: The Great County Adit. It started life in 1748 in order to drain the Poldice mine-which was well over 600 ft deep and flooded for much of the year.
By the 1790s branches of the Poldice Deep Adit were draining all the great Gwennap mines that made up the Consols and United mines, together with several others well to the south and west. The mines of St. Day were also drained, as were those to the east side of Redruth and Chacewater. By the end of the century it was known as the Great Gwennap Adit, and later it came to be called the County Adit. In 1800 it was 28 miles long and drained 12 square miles. By 1880, it had been extended to an incredible 40 miles and drained 16 square miles in five parishes. More than 60 mines were drained by the adit, and such was its importance that for 160 years following its inception few of even the greatest and most profitable mines in the Gwennup and Redruth area would have survived long without it.

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The county adit was a fabulous achievement.... I know its been accessed in recent times, how much is accessible and whats about to see, genuinely interested!

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I'm not totally sure at the moment but I know a bloke who does. Allen Buckley wrote a book on the subject. Will get back to you. Tin Miner probably already does.

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Spoke to allen. There is no 'legal' access but I get the impression a blind eye is turned. The best way in is the portal below Twelveheads although there are other places which can be used. The portal has a grill but the last last time allen was there it had no lock. He sounded a bit coy about this so I'm not sure it's a totally a good idea although he's obviously been down there a few times.

Malcolm

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I only asked as I visited said twelveheads entrance a long while ago (10 years at least), It must go to an amazing amount of mines access wise. Am sure if Allen is involved his info will be good and his coyness should be a good indicator how to play it - cautious. Think I might get his book... its in the PDMHS book shop I think.

Nevertheless yet another stunning cornish achievement. I wonder if this is the longest adit system in GB??

Reg IC

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He became slightly less coy when I explained I was talking about responsible mine explorers. 🙂 I might be wrong but It could be the largest man made water tunnel in the world. There is a plan of the adit in the Cornwall Studies Center which I've been meaning to copy but apparently it isn't in great nick. Anyway I'll pop along and have a look. I don't think all of the adit is accessible.

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I was told that by a guy at sth Crofty, he said many branches were less than safe and in odd cases lethal... but he was clear main drives were good..... if there is a plan would be mega interested. 😉

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is this sough longer than the dukes tunnels at worsley,they are over 40 miles in total including the branches to the collieries.

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I have surveys of about 23 miles that were conducted by others over the past 20 years or so. This is one place I have yet to explore fully. Have been there a few times exploring certain sections, but for obvious reasons can't say which. I maybe able to help regarding certain questions for anyone, but cannot release the survey as it belongs to someone else who is very well-known in the mining circles of the south west.

Regards TM

Just be nice to hear about the way its dug and propped etc as an engineer. Must be fascinating and unique as it must pass thru every type of Cornish ground going. You are certainly lucky to have explored it.... are there pics on here anywhere?

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Saw your worsley comment, was this a deliberate sough or lots linked together?..... colliery soughs intrigue me... mainly as I cant find any accurate records of em around where I live in Ripley, Derbys... even though they must exist.

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A quick serch of A2A on "Soughs" produced the following:

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.asp?com=1&i=5&nbKey=1&stylesheet=xsl \A2A_com.xsl&keyword=soughs&properties=0601

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.asp?com=1&i=8&nbKey=1&stylesheet=xsl \A2A_com.xsl&keyword=soughs&properties=0601

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.asp?com=1&i=9&nbKey=1&stylesheet=xsl \A2A_com.xsl&keyword=soughs&properties=0601

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.asp?com=1&i=19&nbKey=1&stylesheet=xsl \A2A_com.xsl&keyword=soughs&properties=0601

http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/documentxsl.asp?com=1&i=22&nbKey=1&stylesheet=xsl \A2A_com.xsl&keyword=soughs&properties=0601

Regards TM :thumbsup:

Saw your worsley comment, was this a deliberate sough or lots linked together?..... colliery soughs intrigue me... mainly as I cant find any accurate records of em around where I live in Ripley, Derbys... even though they must exist.

This was a deliberate sough - including an underground inclined plane! There used to be a good booklet on the Worsley underground canals published by the Buile Hill Museum at Salford, now sadly gone. I had a copy but "lost" it during a move some years ago. I did photograph a plan they had at the museum - I'll try and dig out the negs, they must be around here somewhere.... (disappears under desk muttering and is not seen for a fortnight.).

Grahami

PS

Just spotted this site: http://www.d.lane.btinternet.co.uk/canal.html 

Which has some details.

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Popped in to photograph the plan of the but it's condition put the kibbosh on that Idea. I have uploaded the small plan of the Nangiles portal c. 1810 from ABs book. I didn't put it on here because the other way at least you can zoom in if you want.

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Thanks for link very good.... this site is going to cost me a bomb in books... £40 Quid so far. :wub:

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Ta For That.... Will look it up. Tired tonight as just done Minera Mines!

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The Worsley Colliery & Navigable Levels

I have a question about this colliery system which have always fascinated me, but it had scant treatment on these pages, possibly because of its high public profile and the fact that access to the site is, I assume, strictly controlled.

Apart from Grahami’s link to Dave Lane’s website above there doesn’t seem to be a lot out there unless I have completely missed it.

There seems to be very scant information and photographs regarding the underground areas of the site. I understand occasional inspections were carried out of the underground canals at Worsley in NCB days and Alan Davis describes one limited visit taking place in 1998 but apart from some photos of Waters Meeting and the famous arches there isn’t much out there as far as I can see, and very little information about artifacts in-situ, if any.

Worsley appears to have been an enormous system having 44 miles of canal connecting to a number of collieries. So my question is: are there any comprehensive surveys of the two systems and has anybody attempted a concerted photographic survey of them in recent years, noting major below-ground structures etc?

Here are two of my old negatives of the system map - apologies for the quality! You can see the main canal and its various branches in the various seams - they are lettered. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures in colour at the time, as this would make interpretation easier. Glen Atkinson's book uses a lot of illustrations which are I guess based on this plan. I traced the levels from the plan at the same time, but again not in colour!

Hope these are of interest.

Grahami

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Many thanks for that.

Nevertheless, it’s still intriguing as to what remains of the network, its condition, artefacts etc.

I wonder when the tunnels were last comprehensively visited or the site appraised from an archaeological point of view.

Regards

I've opened a new topic at this http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?p=19829#msg19829  as it seems to justify its own thread.

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