Brandy Bottle Incline Lead Mine · AditNow Community

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Bynnsi
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

Recently went down brandy bottle incline and hard level mine in swale dale hopping to do the through trip, but was unable to find the connection from either level. Does anyone know if there is still a through route? Is it me being dense?
bynzsi

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

11 years ago

Did this trip a couple of years ago, lots of deep water :thumbup:

We did it from Hard Level to Brandy Bottle; I would struggle to describe the route that way. There was a climb up and a squeeze up from Hard Level that took you to the water that takes you to the bottom of the incline - photo by Jimbo:

🔗Brandy-Bottle-Incline-Lead-Mine-2-User-Album-Image-005[linkphoto]Brandy-Bottle-Incline-Lead-Mine-2-User-Album-Image-005[/linkphoto][/link]

Hopefully somebody local might add a bit more detail!

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

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

No idea whether its still open, not been in a couple years.

The only part where the route isn't entirely obvious is at the southernmost end of the Black crosscut but you can't really miss the route through.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

11 years ago

"RJV" wrote:
No idea whether its still open, not been in a couple years.

The only part where the route isn't entirely obvious is at the southernmost end of the Black crosscut but you can't really miss the route through.

Is that the scramble / squeeze? Was that just beyond those nifty points?

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

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

There's a short scramble up certainly but I don't remember there being a squeeze.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

11 years ago

"RJV" wrote:
There's a short scramble up certainly but I don't remember there being a squeeze.

More of a thrutch I suppose. I remember it because I got verbal...

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

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"SimonRL" wrote:
I remember it because I got verbal...

Surprised you can be so specific, that could be anywhere between Aberystwyth and Alston shurely? :tongue:

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

11 years ago

"RJV" wrote:

"SimonRL" wrote:
I remember it because I got verbal...

Surprised you can be so specific, that could be anywhere between Aberystwyth and Alston shurely? :tongue:

Prouds sump is the one that sticks in my mind...

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

blackshiver
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Going in from Brandy Bottle at the far end of the Black Cross cut is a shale chamber. This is where the start of the climb down into Hard Level is prone to being covered up with shale from the roof. The most likey spot to get wrong is here. Either you are in the BCC, can hear the water and not see the way down. Or you are in Hard Level looking at a leaky fall and can't see the climb up because its covered over at the top. I have never seen it take more than a few minutes of shale removal but it can look like a dead end if you are not in the know.

Bynnsi
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

#10

Thanks for that. My information was that the way through from brandy bottle was from the passage half way down the incline. You say that your trip came out at the bottom, I followed the flooded passages at the bottom & they both sumped out. All I got for my troubles was cold ear lobes!
There was a lot of water in general outside so maybe the sumping could be a temporary thing, will have another go in summer.
Cheers bynnsi

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#11

Ah, thats where you went wrong then.

The connection is at the very bottom of the incline, sharp left into the neck deep water.

Once you're out of the water you just keep going straight along the Black Cross-cut until the only option is a hole in the floor on the left.

Down that, then under a not-so-obvious ledge on the right.
After that you're back into decent passages and can more or less just follow the flow of water out.

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#12

Actually on the third page of my trip report is a picture of a guy in camo coming up the hole that you need to you need to go down if you're coming from the Brandy Bottle end.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/Brandy-Bottle-Incline-Lead-Mine-2/Swaledale-2011.pdf

Bynnsi
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

#13

Thanks for all the info, pissed off now that I missed it. Will have to go back sooner rather than later.
Cheers
Bynnsi

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#14

As you all know I have a historic interest in mines exploration.

The first through trip, from Brandy Bottle to Hard Level, and then back again, (because the air shaft in Hard level had not been dug at that time) was made way back in 1966. By my late friend Tony Marsh and Val Roche.
We had to make our own wet suits in those days!

Bynnsi
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

#15

Ah yes the joys of wetsuit making, the glueing taping and stitching ,only for your tackle to fall out on the first climb!