Cwmorthin Dig - 24/02/08· Page 2

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SimplyExploring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#21

WOW 😮 Great job guys

Many thanks to all involved 🙂 brill job :thumbsup:

ladder monkey
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17 years ago

#22

Hi all, both Oliver and myself had a brilliant time yesterday it was worth the 5hour round trip. Many thanks to Steve M for giving us both a quick tour round the mine.Plus I hope FOC can find a use for the things I left by Vanoords car.
regards LADDER MONKEY.

just blundering about

SimplyExploring
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17 years ago

#23

"ladder monkey" wrote:
Plus I hope FOC can find a use for the things I left by Vanoords car.
regards LADDER MONKEY.

What did you leave 😉

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

17 years ago

#24

I'll send you a list, once I've had a chance to unpack the car!

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

SimplyExploring
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17 years ago

#25

"simonrl" wrote:
I'll send you a list, once I've had a chance to unpack the car!

😮 cool

Gwyn
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Newbie

17 years ago

#26

A most enjoyable day and very good to meet you all.
An amazing kite, Toadstone!
Somebody (not from Aditnow!) had reversed a minibus into my Volvo, crunching near-side, front wing and door. They had the honesty to leave a telephone number so it's becoming an insurance job. It happens!
Not the best of ends to a productive day!
When's the next one? 🙂

Vanoord
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Newbie Topic Starter

17 years ago

#27

"Gwyn" wrote:
A most enjoyable day and very good to meet you all.
An amazing kite, Toadstone!
Somebody (not from Aditnow!) had reversed a minibus into my Volvo, crunching near-side, front wing and door. They had the honesty to leave a telephone number so it's becoming an insurance job. It happens!
Not the best of ends to a productive day!
When's the next one? 🙂

That's a pain :(

Next one? :)

Erm... we need a list of things to do I guess and then we can find a date! Either late April or late May I guess?

There's a bit of tidying of the bits we did yesterday, mostly in the form of landscaping, a bit more tidying of the adit entrance and I wonder if it's worth creating a shallow leat down one side of the adit to clear the standing water?

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

SimplyExploring
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17 years ago

#28

A shallow leat would be a very good idea. 🙂

Gwyn
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17 years ago

#29

Yep, a pain, but the guy seemed genuine and there but for the grace...
I don't quite understand "landscaping".
For my part, I'd think it worth while clearing the right hand side of the adit to see if it is possible to rebuild/ re-instate the base corner stones. There appeared to be mother stone on the outside and I suspect this extends inside and the arch was built on it. It might also be an idea to try and remove that large slab that is awkwardly positioned and placing undue stress on that already weakened side.
Is there any plan to replace/re-instate the arch lintel?

Vanoord
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Newbie Topic Starter

17 years ago

#30

Mostly landscaping the end of the tramway to ease the walk down onto the new causeway. Not a big job.

Similarly, where the water discharges from the tramway, I think it might benefit from being properly channelled and a couple of small retaining walls built on either side - but it would be useful to see it after a few rainstorms before we decide on levels.

Yes, I'd agree that the base of the adit walls should be tidied up a bit, particularly the corner stones.

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

SimplyExploring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#31

The smoke flue is to under go a full survey this year and long term plan for works and conservation put in place. There also be a gate installed this year. The Dig work was the first step towards allot of further work.

In answer to your question about lintel. That will be looked at upon the full survey and if its possible to replace it will be done.

Gwyn
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Newbie

17 years ago

#32

Thanks for that, SimplyExploring, I get the idea. I've done a fair bit of stone work in my time and I did look at the adit with a critical eye and wonder! I would suggest that clearing the right hand side would make it easier to survey, put in place any temporary retaining works and remove some of the lateral strain from the up-hill side. The lintel is an interesting one, not particularly difficult but it depends on how authentic it's to be! I have to admit to looking at the whole thing and considering one option, taking it apart and rebuilding it! 😉

SimplyExploring
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17 years ago

#33

Would also like to mention that we have now put a small forum on the Cwmorthin web site. This is to try and centralize Cwmorthin talk and discussion. don't expect anything great or for it to be busy. But just somewhere to keep information in the one place and easy to find.

SimplyExploring
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Newbie

17 years ago

#34

"Gwyn" wrote:
Thanks for that, SimplyExploring, I get the idea. I've done a fair bit of stone work in my time and I did look at the adit with a critical eye and wonder! I would suggest that clearing the right hand side would make it easier to survey, put in place any temporary retaining works and remove some of the lateral strain from the up-hill side. The lintel is an interesting one, not particularly difficult but it depends on how authentic it's to be! I have to admit to looking at the whole thing and considering one option, taking it apart and rebuilding it! 😉

🙂 Good advise is always good from someone who has done alot of stone work. Would be good to meet up at some point and talk about what can be done.

Gwyn
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Newbie

17 years ago

#35

I've just been looking at the pictures that have been put up. Thanks, very good. Looking at Simon's picture, image 012, looking out of the adit, there appears to be a cut ledge on the left hand side of the picture. This is the one I refered to earlier and on which the arch should be based. I also look at some of the other pictures and again think of removing some of that lateral burden as well as noticing that vertical chasm up the front face! There's some lovely stonework inside, again thanks for the pictures.

hymac580c
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Newbie

17 years ago

#36

Had a very enjoyable day with good company. The mince pie was superb, well worth waiting for.

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.

jagman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#37

Nce work gents, impressed 😉

Vanoord
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Newbie Topic Starter

17 years ago

#38

"Gwyn" wrote:
I've just been looking at the pictures that have been put up. Thanks, very good. Looking at Simon's picture, image 012, looking out of the adit, there appears to be a cut ledge on the left hand side of the picture. This is the one I refered to earlier and on which the arch should be based. I also look at some of the other pictures and again think of removing some of that lateral burden as well as noticing that vertical chasm up the front face! There's some lovely stonework inside, again thanks for the pictures.

I suspect that there is indeed a ledge there - a lot of the pile of 'rubble' against the side of the entrance is not structural and some of that was put there yesterday.

Bear in mind that when the mine was worked in the 80s (?) the smoke flue was also used as an entrance with a Land Rover (?), hence that rubble was not there and the entrance would have been wider. I suspect that if it were removed, then we'd find that a bit of stonework above the ledge needs putting back which might prove easier with a bit of mortar.

It would make a nice diversion for a sunny spring day, for sure...

Hello again darkness, my old friend...

grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#39

Terrific work you guys! Looks great! I've just uploaded my shots of the floor 2 smoke flue entrance in the 1970's for comparison. (I'll not clog this thread with them - they're in the Cwmorthin Archive album.) When I can find my interior shots I'll add them too.

Graham

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#40

It may not be that simple, Mr. Vanoord! I'm quite a fan of quality concrete and stainless steel, but it has to be got up there! And it may not be what the client wants! Whatever, we need to consider this one, as indicated by SimplyExploring and his ref. to an on site survey/appraisel. Ad hoc repairs are one thing but serious masonary work is another!
Are you telling me that a Landrover used to use that entrance? Really! No wonder the corner stones are shot! I suspect there was further damage by tip encroachment. I really don't like that big slab, at top right of entrance.
It's in your ball park, SimplyExploring! What would happen if it was in the National Park?
Also, look at Grahami's picture of the adit, in the Cwmorthin Archive Album, image 004. Makes me wonder where all the water came from!