🔗NEPTUNE-Mine-2-User-Album-Image-53405[linkphoto]NEPTUNE-Mine-2-User-Album-Image-53405[/linkphoto][/link]

A while ago, a couple of us looked at the Neptune adit and wondered how we would get the water level down. On deciding that this was impossible, we came to the conclusion we'd just "do it".

The water was icy, usually if you've got some sulphides decaying, it's ochreous and tepid. This was breath-stoppingly cold. We pressed on with the tunnel at crawling height. Despite the rock looking like poorly consolidated "head" it's actually pretty firm stuff. On pushing the tunnel for about 100m or so and winding around a bit, we came upon a big pile of boulders leading into an adit shaft chamber. This had water coming over the back of it, showing the water was backed up to a pressure of 10ft or so above the adit level. God knows what is above the shaft, but the bit holding it up is a combination of scaffold bar, 4"x4" beam and some wriggly tin in slightly sorry order. If you could get this off (The adit is shallow here) it would be worth digging out as all the shafts on neptune are sollared and heaped over. Apart from the engine shaft which is choked. East Neptune produced some interesting Chromate minerals, which is linked to the adit system.

We looked in Treknow adit, which is crawly and goes to a collapse about 50ft in.

There was a shaft open here when this was shot, but according to google earth, this has now been filled in.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.116906&lon=-5.448485&z=18.8&r=0&src=msl  This shot shows it still open, probably with the wall and fence around it.

The only other opportunity to get "in" anywhere is the Perranuthnoe adit, but that doesn't link to Neptune and the ground looks really horrible. I rattled the grapevine about this, but nothing was forthcoming.

I explored this a few years ago and a crowd gathered.
A chap was on about taking bets on whether or not I would come out.

The shaft looking up had angle iron with an old door above it complete with handle. I was lead to understand that the property with the shaft in the garden had just been sold...........

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Roy, any idea where the shaft is on surface? We looked like hell on the 1888 map and tried to correlate where we were and were convinced we were under the field. Unblocking the adit would be seriously interesting as it's really extensive and I gather that blockage has been there "always"

Its in the garden of the house directly above, been a time and my memory blurred.
If remember correct there was a group of bushes and i was told the shaft was under a dirt pile in front of these.

By the way, what the adit has in discomfort getting in it makes up for in convenience. If it hasn't changed, you can drive your car right down in front of it to get changed.

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You can still drive down to the Neptune Adit. There is a shaft burrow in the garden of a house approx 400m away. Looks like all the Trenow shafts are blocked.

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My hunch was that we were about here:-

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.117079&lon=-5.45165&z=17.9&r=0&src=msl 

Rather than being here, where there are 2 shafts obliterated:-

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.118041&lon=-5.452139&z=17.2&r=0&src=msl 

But it didn't feel that far, hence me thinking we were under the field.

The only one I didn't look at (apart from the one at 11 o clock to it, right by someone's house) was here:-

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.118118&lon=-5.442951&z=17.6&r=0&src=msl 

Despite the gradient of the adit, the mine would be backed up by that water by a fair degree all along there. I also have a feeling that any hole in that area which was open was used as a bin.

This is engine shaft, according to my reckoning.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.119538&lon=-5.444383&z=17.1&r=0&src=msl 

I think the shaft at 12 o clock from it is one of the E Neptune shafts. I gather it was common practise to sollar them over with granite beams and then park a pile on them.

According to dines, most of the shafts went to adit and the lode was up to 10ft wide.

Most stuff in this area is way down my "poke around" list.

The shaft shown as open just above the 'purple' field has now been oliterated and most of the dump removed as of last week.

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Time to log off so quickly:
I considered a dig, but nowhere to put the spoil, adit too narrow for side packs.

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I wonder if you could have a plastic container with a rope each side so you could have a man at each end and drag it out. With the risk of it running and getting caught in there, I reckon it would be more wise to open that shaft.

A bit off topic but interesting!,

I have three letters dated 1917, stating that that there are " large baulks of timber which constitute the framework necessary for winding", also timber in the shaft, new wire rope, rope and an old iron bucket (kibble I assume) at the old Wheal Neptune mine.

What date did this mine close??

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According to Hamilton Jenkin Neptune reached 115 fathoms below adit (30 fathoms) in 1821 and closed the following year "and the mine has never since been seen in depth". A proposed reopening in1862 not happening.

It is of course entirely possible that other trials have been attempted but not recorded.

Interesting though.

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Perhaps a war time opening of the mine was attempted??. all items were being sold off and described as in excellent condition.

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Also Jenkin mentioned that the lode was up to 10ft wide and stoped mostly above the adit. (or was that Dines? ).

I've often noted that the more recent mines tend to have had their shafts carefully covered over like Neptune. I would have thought the usual wall/sollars which fell away after a while would have sufficed and is a common method in the near area.

I've read something about it drawing interest, but I think the lode died in depth pretty sharply.

Re. a dig, is this scaffold bar something you could hook a rope around and pull at from outside the adit? (I'm thinking 4x4 tow bar, big engine, pop goes the plug). Obviously unjamming it and rapidly drowning is not a good career move, but just a small shift about of the jam could clear it enough to bring the water level down.

Having had a good poke around the area last week, the entrance blockage to the adit is made from sturdy timber well fixed in place. There is a drainage hole at the base with water running out but obviously semi-blocked. Guessing the fall of the adit level pulling out the timber will probably release 50m or so of built up water straight out onto the beach. You can park right in front of it however. The shaft in question is around 75m from the entrance and in someones garden although neglected. Could not see any entrance from there. Best hope is to try to lower the water behind the wood dam by unblocking the pipe.

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No not that brave!

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