I hope you're right Roy. One of the old tricks was to fit a gate but leave it open, same sort of intimidation tactic as the walls.

IIRC there is a gated road (both ends) somewhere around Nantlle in North Wales, most non locals turn around instead of opening the gate and pressing on.

Are these the new gates at Dorothea you are referring to ?

No, the gates I referred to were last used by me around 30 odd years ago.

Thanks Alex.
Did you notice whether 'checkpoint Charley' was still there across the council road just above the car park?

Ooops, no, sorry. We couldn't even get in the car park and had to park in the Village Hall car park (excellent looking café but about to close as we came back - still got ice creams though :thumbup: )

What are water levels like in the mine?

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Just found this on the Industrial Railways Society website, obviously the same report

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/7/dinas_quarzite_mine.htm 

I have posted this on UKC in response to a query with regard to any progress on restoring the Public Right of Way which gives a short route up to the mine. I can only do so much myself:

I have been fairly well tied up this year and have no knowledge of any developments. (Re the papers served on the local authority under the Highways Act) While you were there (to the query poster) you could have walked up the road from the car park to see if the right of way has been cleared. I am not optimistic and it may well take pressure from others. I would suggest interested parties write to Rhondda Cynon Taf complaining about the obstructed right of way.

It should be noted that regardless of the gateway that has been constructed, the tarmac road is a public road that you can drive up. If the gate is closed and locked inform the police as its a criminal offence.

Due to server issues my Natural Amenities website cannot be reached from the URL. here is a direct link to the page dealing with the obstructed PROW.

http://cambrianmines.co.uk/NAL/Alternative_Route.html 

Please also be aware that regardless of my ownership of the adjacent mineral rights area I have no rights any different to anyone else with regard to the PROW. The papers served on the local authority were done in the capacity of an ordinary citizen, anyone could have done this.

What is needed is pressure from others. As it stands it may well look as though I am the only concerned citizen.

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I have been to Dinas today and the gateway built on th epublic road now has a gate with "Keep Out " sign plus a padlock and chain, however the gate was open. The Right of Way that starts about a hundred yards up the hill is still blocked.

I shall be contacting Highways again over this.

Anyway, took some photos etc, inc a nice one in Bwamaen or Middle Dinas

🔗121178[linkphoto]121178[/linkphoto][/link]

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Unless someone else has used (and recorded) said use of the path I suspect the right of way may now have been extinguished.:curse:

It is a lot more difficult to officially close a RoW than that nowadays!

The local authority served the statutory papers on the landowner but nothing has been done as yet.
Re the public road, it appears that he wants to put people off using it, but I doubt that he would want to take responsibility for maintaining it. He will get dealt with eventually, just a question of when.

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Roy we tried that route as a potential way for getting up there with dive kit, although it does at first glance look better it isn't.

BTW are we ok to go and have a nosey in there when we go to South wales in a couple of weeks?

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Paul, the road is a public road you can drive up and drop off kit. From the tarmac road the mine is only 400 metres of level walking but the route is blocked by timber debris at the edge of the flat area created by the landfill. Best way to assess it is to walk from the mine, all virtually flat bar 2 stiles.

This is my webpage:
http://cambrianmines.co.uk/NAL/Alternative_Route.html 

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It appears the 'open gate' was only a short distance up from the car park in 2011. Is that where the gate is now?

🔗121186[linkphoto]121186[/linkphoto][/link]

Yes. The wooden posts were removed and the footprint became the foundation for the current structure. If there has always been a gate there, he is within his rights to keep one there, but a new gate were there was not one previously would need authorisation from Highways.

My only gripe with it, is the implication that it is a private road not a public one, his notice reinforces my contention that he is out to achieve just that.

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No sign of a gate late 50s- early 60s

https://maps.nls.uk/view/91577104 

Natural Amenities Ltd

On behalf of the above company which owns the Craig y Dinas mineral estate which includes the Upper Dinas Silica mine, I extend a warm welcome to Tom Ferry (Down and Beyond) who has now joined our board of directors.

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Thank you very much Roy for this opportunity :thumbsup:

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Your welcome

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Good morning all , would it be possible to have a update of the footpath from the road to the mine via the wooden bridge . Did this ever get cut back and tidied up for people carrying equipment through ?

If not i will happily come over and do so , any further recommendations about this area as well would be most appreciated.

Thanks Tom.

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At the moment, Dinas is off, as is all of Wales to the Angles, but the footpath situation should primarily be addressed by Rhondda Cynan Taf. Help here would best be in the form of letters of complaint to RCT Highways. We need them to act on removal of the blockage.
Once this is done we can organise volunteers to clear brush etc so as to redefine the path and make it usable. The walk up to the mine by this route is ridiculously easy, I have tried it from the mine end as far as I could get.

Its frustrating at the moment, but we are all stuck with this situation.

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Thanks for the update I shall be over wales once lockdown has eased ,will have a good look and take photos.

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