Has anyone explored Eastern United? I heard the drifts at the back may still be accessible and there is much in the way of rails and kit etc still left in there.
There was also a small shaft, Walmers shaft, down into the drift.

Didn't get much chance to anything today, as I was in a suit, but will be down again next week, and will see what I can find. Want to get round in case they demolish what's left. I notice that the baths at Princess Royal are now being demolished. Managed to get photos some months ago before they started and will post tomorrow.

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My guess it is full of bad air. You might go in for 10 feet before you die. Let us know how you get on.

Eastern United Drift Mine. NGR SO 648 113 Ruspidge, near Cinderford. Opened in 1909 by Henry Crawshay & Co Ltd to work Coleford High Delf, c4 feet thick, by means of three, unique to the Forest of Dean, descending inclines. Nearby, Walmer's Shaft was reopened for ventilation / escape route. The workings abutted Cannop Colliery about 3 miles away and were 1400 feet deep. This mine was nearly abandoned during early development work as the coal dipped suddenly down vertically due to a monocline. The two adjacent drifts pushed on in front and completely missed the coal. The colliery was only saved by pushing the dipples sideways from the original headings and following the coal downwards until it levelled off in the bottom of the coal basin.


Eastern United cont
It closed with millions of tons of coal left in the vertical area because it was uneconomical to work vertically bedded coal. Closed by the National Coal Board in 1959. The pit head baths, tips, embankment and sidings survive.
References: Anstis 1999 p 16, 59, 71, 77, 82, 89, 90, 99. Beech p 24; Bowen 1991 p 17 - 27; Mullin p 87 Phelps 1984 p 41 Waters p 172

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