Garth Iron Mine · AditNow Community

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Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

imgReally like the look of this mine. Found an old pic

which matches this almost exactly (right down to someone standing the same place), albeit from a slightly different angle.

Photograph:

🔗Garth-Iron-Mine-3-User-Album-Image-54697[linkphoto]Garth-Iron-Mine-3-User-Album-Image-54697[/linkphoto][/link]

[tweak]Thread title tweaked for clarity - srl[/tweak]

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

13 years ago

Excellent comparison :)

That certainly looks like one worth visiting when in S Wales.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Owt
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Hi Cat Bones

Which mine is it? We have a plan to get down S Wales early this Autumn if you are interested.

Regards

Owt

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

13 years ago

Garth Iron Mine

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Garth-Iron-Mine-3/

:flowers:

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Owt
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Ta Simon :thumbsup:

Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

"Owt" wrote:
Hi Cat Bones

Which mine is it? We have a plan to get down S Wales early this Autumn if you are interested.

Regards

Owt

Hi Owt... how's it going?

Should be up for that as long as it's not the last week in September; back up to Scotland for a week. I need to get underground soon... not done very much at all since Kitten-Bones was born!

tgibbs
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Hi Everyone

Does anybody know if there is, or what the access agreement is for the Garth Iron mine. I am keen to explore but would like to do things properly. I am familiar with the location and have the equipment for a dierect SRT trip. Is access normally gained via the shaft or can a key be issued. I am a member of a respected caving club and have bca insurance.

Thank you

Tim

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Access was via Cambrian CC years ago and, (if nothings changed) one can scramble down one of the open pits without rope etc.

tgibbs
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Thank you for the info

Cheers
Tim

BertyBasset
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#10

Quote:

(if nothings changed) one can scramble down one of the open pits without rope etc.

Yes, one of the pits has a gantry which can be abbed off, or a scramble down a slope on the right side (with a handline). It's well worth a look - several huge chambers.

walsh
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#11

The main entrance was wide open last year, not sure if thats still the case. Looks as if the copper fairies had paid a visit.

ivortheengine
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#12

Its still open. As in, the main adit. Big green steel door that's not locked. Bear in mind the possibility that the quarry above (and there are two - Cemex and TS Rees) you may well be blasting when you are in there (yes - really) - evenings / weekends are the best in order to avoid this as its really rather scary if it happens when you're in there.

Bringing an inflatable dingy will allow you to cross the first flooded bit thats reached from the main adit - didn't have time but there are definitely other passages off the other side of the furthest part - which you cant see from the abandoned diving platform. Mind the jaggedy bits of rusty pipe just below the water though :lol:

Fantastic mine with lots of ochre, pretty crystals, oh, and stunning chambers.

Lots of other potential parts to explore by scouring the woodland above - peppered with holes.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#13

"ivortheengine" wrote:
Bringing an inflatable dingy will allow you to cross the first flooded bit thats reached from the main adit - didn't have time but there are definitely other passages off the other side of the furthest part

IIRC one can get to all passages by alternative dry routes. Have not visited for 20+ years so could be wrong! 😉

ivortheengine
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#14

"Morlock" wrote:

"ivortheengine" wrote:
Bringing an inflatable dingy will allow you to cross the first flooded bit thats reached from the main adit - didn't have time but there are definitely other passages off the other side of the furthest part

IIRC one can get to all passages by alternative dry routes. Have not visited for 20+ years so could be wrong! ;D

I first visited around 1992, and since then more of the mine has been made accessible. Back then, the first chamber off the main entry adit had several blocked off exits, but these have now been reopened. This has exposed another large flooded chamber (with a now disused diving platform) beyond which are several other passages. Further workings are accessible on foot via another reopened passage. Well worth another visit, Morlock!

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#15

"ivortheengine" wrote:
Well worth another visit, Morlock!

Yep, you're right. No excuse really as it's only 15 miles from home.

ivortheengine
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#16

The steel door to the adit is now welded shut. But go up on the mountain top, past the entry for the T.S. Rees quarry, skirt around the side of the steel gantry and there is a hole (maybe 6-8 feet diameter) with a rotting tree stump maybe 6 feet down, to which is attached a ropey rope. Its a steep scramble down.

Not sure why the steel door was blocked, having been open for so many years. Possibly due to it being increasingly visited by poorly equipped idiots (at least one of whom put a video of their antics on YouTube) - I've found people exploring with nothing more than an iphone torch, pretty frightening considering the number of vertical shafts in the place which end either on unyielding surfaces, or in vertical sided pits of water.