Mine Visits / Exhibition Works · AditNow Community

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

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DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Hello,

I'm a brand new member.

I'm working on an Arts Council supported project, photographing mines. I'm based in the Midlands, but would really like some basic advice about access to Black Country mines.
If theres anyone local to Birmingham, I'd interested in meeting up.

Also, I'm really interested in going to Boulby Potash Mine, if anyone has any up to date info about visiting there, Id appreciate it?

Thanks,

Dave,

www.davidrowan.org

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derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

one immediate and obvious problem is that Boulby is a 'gassy' mine, which means that photography underground is very restricted.

Productive mines tend not to show much interest in this kind of thing, but Boulby are quite hospitable on the whole.

For the Black Country, contact the Apedale site. I don't know how they deal with photography, because I've never needed to know, but they ARE a preserved mine drift. You might also try National Coal Mining Museum and Big Pit in Wales.

You would get some good pics at Wheal Geevor, contact Bill L on here for that, there is little accessible underground but the mill is unique. and a fascinating structure.

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Neil Rowley (the safety manager ay Boulby) is an AN user and may respond himself if he sees this, but as a working mine they have to limit the number of visits per year and unless you can find a place on someone else's trip you may be looking at ~18 months to arrange one. As a gassy mine photography equipment would need to be approved as suitable for use in a potentially explosive environment (ATEX rated), underground photography guru Paul Deakin has done some down there but he uses film, not digital cameras.

Most Black Country coal mines are now inaccessible, and would have the same problem as above even if the Coal Auithority would allow you in, but you may want to consider the Dudley limestone mines?

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

14 years ago

"DavidRowan" wrote:
Hello,

I'm a brand new member.

I'm working on an Arts Council supported project, photographing mines. I'm based in the Midlands, but would really like some basic advice about access to Black Country mines.
If theres anyone local to Birmingham, I'd interested in meeting up.

Also, I'm really interested in going to Boulby Potash Mine, if anyone has any up to date info about visiting there, Id appreciate it?

Thanks,

Dave,

www.davidrowan.org

Hi Dave

Welcome to the site :)

You don't say whether you're interested in photographing working or abandonned mines. Any preference either way?

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

DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Thanks for all the information and contacts. Got an email directly from paul Deakin. I await with baited breath to see if I can get up to Boulby soon. I'm shooting film, and purely mechanical, I've also had speeecialist LED lamps build for me, so I'm hoping it conforms to spec.. Would dearly love to get to go into an old midlands coal mine, I'm working on that with Dudley Museum..

Anyway, thanks again..

DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

HI,

Thanks very much. I'm primarily interested in abandoned mines. I can look to shoot in working mines as well, but I'm hoping to photograph the topography and underground landscape, rather than workers in it..

Cheers for the welcome.

www.davidrowan.org

DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Thanks again for the advice, will follow up. I'm shooting film, and using custom made LED lights so I don't know if they will conform with the ATEX standards..

Dave.

DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Hello, Thanks to everyone who helped and assisted me recently.

My ongoing project can be found here:

http://davidrowan.org/work/pacha-kuti-ten/

I'm also proudly exhibiting works from the series at The new Art Gallery Walsall:

http://www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/whats-on/exhibition/david-rowan-pacha-kuti-ten

Thanks.

Graigfawr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Big Pit was suggested up-thread.

Big Pit operates under current coal mining legislation and hence all electrical equipment, including battery powered equipment (e.g. cameras, flashes, watches, games devices) are banned unless in flame-proof enclosures to current coal mining legislation.

I believe that underground photography has been undertaken at Big Pit in the past using caplamps and scanning them around in a 'painting with light' manner.

However Big Pit now also has a 'cut-and-cover' replica mine working just under the surfae of the hillside which is not subject to the coal mining legislation that the genuine deep mine workings are subject to.

Shropshire lead-zinc mines, and the Alderley Edge copper mines in Cheshire may be of interest to you?

Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

"DavidRowan" wrote:
Thanks for all the information and contacts. Got an email directly from paul Deakin. I await with baited breath to see if I can get up to Boulby soon. I'm shooting film, and purely mechanical, I've also had speeecialist LED lamps build for me, so I'm hoping it conforms to spec.. Would dearly love to get to go into an old midlands coal mine, I'm working on that with Dudley Museum..

Anyway, thanks again..

Does the museum have access to a coal mine?! They have the mocked up, cut-and-cover thing which sounds like the same sort of thing as at Big Pit. The fake mine was pretty convincing IIRC.

The limestone mines in Dudley were mentioned above but there's not much left to get into other than the stuff on the museum boat tour.
I think I read recently that the zoo or museum or both are looking at opening up the Bear pit(?) cavern soon, so maybe there might be a possibility of a sneak peak of that!
Would be interested to know how you get on with speaking with the museum about the coal mine though!

rufenig
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#11

If you would like to visit Snailbeach mine in Shropshire you can PM me on here or follow the contact details on our website.
We can sort something out either on a weekday or weekend to suit.
There are a few example underground pictures on the website.

http://shropshiremines.org.uk/snailbeach/index.htm

DavidRowan
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

#12

Hello,

Thanks very much for the offer, I'll be in touch soon, will take a loom online and make a plan.

David.