Have to get back to Diffwys, much fun surely awaits :)

[img]http://www.aditnow.co.uk/showimage?f=/community/Diffwys-Slate-Mine-13-09-2006-Image-001/[/img]

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Tell me a little about this mine, I'm still not on great turms with the Ffestiniog slate mines!
Cheers! 😉

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Situated between Manod and Maenofferen, it is reputed to be the oldest slate mine in the Ffestiniog region. I've only had one (brief evening) trip here, with Miles, but we intend going back in the near future.

This weekend is looking good for a photo session in Dinorwic.

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Cool, and this monday is looking is looking good for a photo session on Coniston Old Man! 😉
For a mine this size its surprizing not many people take note of it, cheers for the info!
Linden 😉 😉

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I'm sure you've found it, but just in case not, the album from the last Diffwys trip is here: http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Diffwys-Slate-Mine-13-09-2006/ 

Look forward to seeing your Coniston pics! And really liked your father's Sandside Quarry pics on ME.

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Cheers, since we live in sandside, he/we can just walk the dog there and see the latest developments taking place, it is a pretty big quarry!! Meant to close next year, but now Allans saying year: 2021? not very accurate!
Cheers! - looks like Diffwys is flooded quite severly!
cheers 😉

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Like Dinorwic to me then, it was always our local playground for walking and climbing. I'm quite ashamed to say that having lived within a few miles of it for 32 years I've never taken a full day to photograph it. Best I managed was this batch of BW photos whilst walking with my parents late last summer http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Dinorwig-Slate-Mine-26-08-2006/ .

You might like the Glwynrhonwy pics http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Glynrhonwy-Isaf-Slate-Mine-13-09-2006/?gowhere=%2f  and the Cefn Du set http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Cefn-Du-Slate-Mine-04-06-2006/  as well

Ouch, I've just gone off-topic, Diffwys to Dinowic. Vanoord will probably moderate me on my own web site tomorrow!

:offtopic:

[mod]No, I wouldn't do that...[/mod]

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What is there at Diffwys in terms of scale, and artifacts?

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I've only had the one trip there, with Miles, so can't comment on the full extent of the mine.

We first explored an upper adit, and found some large chambers, but devoid of any interesting artifacts to look at. Ropes would have been needed to descend.

We next explored a lower adit, to the side of the incline. This proved to be more interesting, several chambers, one incline (flooded at the adit level) and some evidence of the incline winder. Two chambers on from that we cam to a tunnel blocked by a collapse and a flodoed chamber we could not cross. However there was a deflated dinghy in the chamber, so we're intending to go back with a dinghy of our own to explore deeper.

The album pretty much documents everythign I've seen of this mine to date, aside from surface remains, but it was night time when we went so no opportunity to photograph them.

Will certainly post more pics when we revisit the mine, and any other info if I come across any.

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Thanks Simon! 😉
What kind of descent is it into lower level?

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To be honest, I can't entirely remember. I seem to recall a slab descent leading from the chamber we entered at the upper adit level, and in the chamber beyond a vertical descent of perhaps 80-100'.

However I think the most promising avenue for exploration is to boat across the flooded chamber reached at the lower adit level.

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Nice lot of chains in there!!
thanks

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Hi simon

Is this a pool or do you think it goes ?

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We had a good number of Thursday night trips to Diffwys about 2 years ago. Starting with bolting for an abseil into the furthest chamber so make a round trip of abseil and then 3 boat trips to get back to the chamber in the photograph at the start of this thread.

There are a number of flooded chambers in Diffwys that would make excellent dive sites.

See the album here:

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/Album/Photographs-Of-Diffwys_1481/ 

Only problem it's about an hour's walk up the hillside from Blaenau. Or a similar walk from Manod around the Rhiwbach tramway and then cross-country.

Not an easy one to get bulky and heavy kit to!

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Landrover ?

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Very unlikely. Don't know who owns the land, so don't know who you would need to ask. And it's probably not driveable anyway. Suggest a reccee would be in order.

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Suggest a reccee would be in order.

One for Jemima's next outing?
Remember the chamber that we swam over, with what appeared to be an incline with rails visible? Fancy it? Good walk up though...:lol:

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"Only problem it's about an hour's walk up the hillside from Blaenau. Or a similar walk from Manod around the Rhiwbach tramway and then cross-country. "

No its not.
Coming into Blaenau from Stiniog look for a road on the right with scaffold handrail at the bottom, its an acute angle and a devil to get round into from other direction, you will know it from this description when you see it. You will pass a mill with a fine waterwheel on the right. Go to the end, turn right round and park on the right up against the fence as low down track as as you can. The farmer needs his turning circle see. If other vehicles there go back down the track and park on the left, beware of loads of dog poo.
Farmer at the top is a nice bloke, remember me to him if you see him. There is a track up to Diffys opposite which is also a short cut to the fferen by bearing off to the left over an ancient little bridge.

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"Only problem it's about an hour's walk up the hillside from Blaenau. Or a similar walk from Manod around the Rhiwbach tramway and then cross-country. "

No its not.

Roy, it takes US an hour to walk up there..... average age ahem 40 ish. Whereas you would do it in half the time...... :-[

:lol: :lol: :lol:

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Greaves own the Whole of Rhiwbach tramway, from Rhiwbach Quarry all the way to Blaenau, so you would have to ask them for permision. However they own Diffwys aswell- so unlikely to grant permision! :lol:

Also there is going to be some working (un-topping) of Diffwys quarry in the near future, to open up a new face.

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