Hello :)

I spent tuesday wondering around Dinorwig, took the path from near Llyn Peris, went up inclines C4 and C5 to Australia level, and then explored a few tunnels. I noticed that nearly all the tunnels are blocked, I'm guessing this was done by the power-company, although in some instances it does seem to be rock falls.
Dinorwig is one of my favs, been going there since I was very young, and only a few years ago I realised how much I hadn't seen that was out of view from the footpath. I don't know how deep some of the sincs are, I heard Twll Mawr to be 600 ft but I'm not certain. There's a couple behind Twll Mawr which are very deep as well, but I don't know of any names :/
I don't particularly want to attempt to gain access to any of these pits, but it'd be nice to know what stories from people who have explored them, also as to whether there are any underground bits which can be accessed.
About 3 years ago I read in a trip-report from Miles about a chamber nr Sinc Dali, I found this, it seems to be an underground chamber which was worked 'outwards' into the nearby pit-working from a tunnel, although I haven't found many references :/ Be interesting to know if there's much else though, e.g. the gated tunnel leading from Dali's Pit presumably to the bottom of Garret??

I thought it'd be nice to share stories from the place anyhow

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Hi LAP!

I think I know where you mean, you go through a short tunnel with brick culveting in it, in then walk along a ledge into the next pit and the chamber is on your left?

Also found this whilst wandering around a few years back:

🔗Dinorwig-31-03-2007-to-01-04-2007-Image-009[linkphoto]Dinorwig-31-03-2007-to-01-04-2007-Image-009[/linkphoto][/link]

Drop down into the bottom of (what I know as) Australia, and backtrack. It breaks to surface in a boulder field but is hard to spot.

On the subject of names. I've got a few books on Dinorwic, but none of them contains a clear plan showing the proper names of the various pits. Can anybody recommend one?

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Hey Simon

Yeah you're exactly right, it's below the ledge, and it has a kind of metal framing inside of it, not sure what that was for. Must presumably be the only underground working in the area, not that it's very much of one :P

I have 'Delving in Dinorwig', there is a newer book ' Dinorwig - The Llanberis Slate Quarry, which I haven't got. Delving in D is great when it comes to describing railway lines, but doesn't touch on the sincs so much. The maps given I find are confusing, since the place has changed so much since. Are you aware of a survey of the pits?
I'm planning on doing something there this Summer, although it'd be pretty impossible to get a accurate picture due to all the recent falls.
I definatly am curious about why that adit at Dali's hole is gated, if it's just draining The Garret quarry thou :P

cheers


[photo]Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-48104[/photo]

I'm not sure where this one drains to......

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I am reading Dinorwig - The Llanberis Slate Quarry at the moment.

But no detailed/clear map I'm afraid.

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I was going to mention Delving in Dinorwic because of its rough but useful hand drawn map of the galleries and sincs.I was thinking of enlarging it,and using google earth,doing another version,but so little time....
The book that andyc mentions has some interesting photos in it,some historical and some more recent (just before the demolition of Hafod Owen etc)
I also find Dinorwig fascinating,for its scale,atmosphere,and the fact you always seem to miss something when you look at your photos!Plus Im not much of an undreground sort of person (Ive seen `the Descent!`-all those who venture underground are far less claustraphobic than I!).

haha the descent, yeah It'll probably have influenced the way people think about underground quite a bit.

I know the map which you mean Blondin, I find it very confusing though, although I have used it in the past to get a perspective of things. I'll have a look now actually

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I agree that it can be quite a confusing map,due to the fact it uses different perspective,sometimes you think you are looking from above,then the angle seems to be from lake level.As I mentioned it would still be invaluable in a project to make a definative map.I think also the problem is you have a few main areas,such as garret,that are then sub-divided into galleries and/or sincs.I think the `hotch potch`arrangement contributes to the appeal of the place.I always find that when I think Ive seen it all in Dinorwig,I look at my photos and other peoples,and realise I have to go back again!Im sure its the same elsewhere!
I initially felt like there was little point to upload photos of Dinorwig as there are so many already,but now I realise how things can change so quickly,due to rock falls,vandalism etc.

I initially felt like there was little point to upload photos of Dinorwig as there are so many already,but now I realise how things can change so quickly,due to rock falls,vandalism etc.

Ah, that's part of the reason the site exists... Exploration, photography, recording, and from that recording the changing landscapes (above and below ground) :)

There've been some big falls in Dinorwic over the years. For eample Steamer's photo of the handing tracks at the back of Twll Mawr:

🔗Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-009[linkphoto]Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-009[/linkphoto][/link]

There used to be a good 20' of ground to the left of those tracks.

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I took a photo form the other side of that track;you wonder how long it will be before that whole ledge and the cableway tower by it cascade into the pit!
Rightly said,derelict places change at an alarming rate,and the more is on record,the better for the future.You dont miss it till its gone away...

That fall happaned many years ago though, I remember going there when I was 7 or 8 (10 years ago) and seeing the track suspended. I went up to find it on tuesday, went up C4 incline. Felt a bit nervous when I was there, you could see where large areas of the whole tip were breaking off around the railway line, slowly. Very dramatic though, wonder how long that area will last.
I'[ve heard rumours that Twll Mawr is 600 ft in depth? I think it is without doubt one of the deepest quarries in North Wales, if not, in Britain. I somehow looked into the bottom of it, to see various fallen boulders. One side of the quarry is covered by a collapse from the tip above it (the one near the suspended railway), I remember it once raining really hard whilst we were there, and more bits started to collapse down it.

The map shows all railways, but like you said sometimes it seems like your looking from the side lol. It'd be fantastic to get a map of all the sincs and tunnels thoug

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a chamber nr Sinc Dali, I found this, it seems to be an underground chamber which was worked 'outwards' into the nearby pit-working from a tunnel, although I haven't found many references

This is the one in Blodin's photo isn't it?

🔗Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-48164[linkphoto]Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-48164[/linkphoto][/link]

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Aye Simon, it is.
I have some bad pictures of it somewhere which I can find, strange metal object inside it.

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Yeah here's an aweful one from the inside

[photo]Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[/photo]

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