Old Gang · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

S Eastmead
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

On the opposite side of the beck to the Old Gang Smelt Mill are 2 levels that obviously produced the large spoil heaps.
One is just to the east of the mill the other just to the west.

Can some one tell me what these portals were called please and the veins they worked?

Thanks

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your AditNow Community forum account or Register a new forum account

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

One is called Knott's Level I think. Goes a little perhaps 150 yards before ending. The other is an uneventful crawl for maybe thirty yards again before ending.

Don't know what vein it would be. Seems to be driven towards Watersykes but that would be some distance off.

The second level only seemed to be about 2/3 the size of a typical level from memory so I'm not sure whether it served another purpose.

Rich

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Sorry, a bit more.

The English Heritage Record of Scheduled Monuments claims the spoil on the south bank is actually from Hard Level which was transported over the river though they claim it was transported eastwards over a bridge which doesn't make a great deal of sense.

Mike Gill shows Knott's Level on a map in his Swaledale, Its Mines and Smeltmills but doesn't list it in his Mines of Yorkshire.

S Eastmead
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

I agree I don't believe it came from Hard Level or Spence.
As an aside. As you walk from Hard Level towards Level House, there is a small area of fine spoil on the north bank, with some sleeper poking out of it. Do you know if this is another blocked off minor level or something else?

Stephen

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I have just seen this and am not an expert at all on this area, however;
spoil with timbers protruding can in my experience indicate either of 2 things

1 They are the remaining uprights of trees put in to support either deadwork or bad ground, and as such could indicate an adit. Example I managed to locate and reopen the deep adit of Great Wheal Charlotte near Porthtowan in Cornwall a few years ago, I saw this and correctly interpreted its meaning.

2 They can be the remaining uprights of the support timbers of an elevated tramway used for the dumping of the spoil. It is not always indicative of an adit at that level. It can emanate from the site of dressing operations, or sometimes be spoil raised to that height artificially by a hoisting tower or similar. Example, Talybont mine near Machynlleth

I hope that this is of some use.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

"S Eastmead" wrote:
I agree I don't believe it came from Hard Level or Spence.
As an aside. As you walk from Hard Level towards Level House, there is a small area of fine spoil on the north bank, with some sleeper poking out of it. Do you know if this is another blocked off minor level or something else?

Stephen

The spoil may well have come from Hard Level it was the claim that it was transported eastwards over the river I found dubious.

No idea about the other one I'm afraid.

Nice little find on Google Books though that might be of interest to you.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IWwRAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=An+inquiry+into+the+deposition+of+lead+ore+in+the+mineral+veins+of+Swaledale

Rich

S Eastmead
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Thanks Roy I will take a closer look.

S Eastmead
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Before I found the 2 'levels' I assumed that the spoil had been transported across the river, but as I was walking it, it didn't add up unless there was a second bridge further to the east, and there is no sigh of that. Or that there has been a large amount of errosion to the southern bank. Currently you cant walk straight to the spoil safely from the bridge as the bank has no real path and it is about a 45 degree angle.

Thanks again for your info.

The book looks interesting. I will take a good look at it tomorrow.

Stephen

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

I think i've got a couple of photos of the places you're talking about near the smelt mill, although if it isn't these let me know.

http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/view_picture.asp?id=19615
http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/view_picture.asp?id=19617

Has anyone ever found anything away from the main paths ?

Mike Gill mentions Victoria, Raws and New Levels ?

Magic.gov.uk mentions Roger, Herring Rake, Reynoldsons Levels.

Roll on a nice weekend to check them all out eh RJV ?

S Eastmead
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

#10

Chris,

Yes that is the pair.

I hope to get back up there again next week and explore the moor above especially near another spoil heap.

The portals / veins must be mapped somewhere, or is this a reason why there isn't a monograph on Old Gang?

If I come across anything I will let you know.

RJV thinks it is Knotts Level, I see on the maps that the ground directly above the level is called Knots Rushes, so it sound very likely to be Knots Level as suggested.

Stephen