I had a wander round the Rigghead slate quarries yesterday & made a video for anyone interested

The water tank near the entrance is fed from a catch tank arrangement on a higher level & presumably feeds the climbing hut below. Unfortunately it looks like the adits have been used as a tip by the climbing club :glare:

If you do have sound on when watching, don't be too distressed by the sound of my heart beating at 180bpm! I've had it checked out & doctors aren't worried apparently :blink:

I'm quite getting into this mine exploring now, although I'm particularly interested in finding large chambers like the one at Moss Head on Coniston & don't think there're any of similar scale in Cumbria. Are there any in Wales which can be walked into? or do I need to think about learning SRT?

Plenty around Blaenau Ffestiniog! Have a look at the Cwmorthin pages on here. Croesor and Rhosydd are probably a bit extreme for you to look in until you get more experienced. Fron Boeth in the Croesor Valley is worth a look in. Above Cwmorthin is Conclog - if you don't mind getting wet wading through the entrance adit. Opposite Cwmorthin is Wrysgan with simply HUGE chambers.

If you're willing to pay a bit more, have a look at Go-Below - Miles takes parties through Rhiwbach and also Cwmorthin.

There's the show mine at Llechwedd but a bit further down in mid Wales is one were you pay but will be led into another unsanitised slate mine - Braich Goch - follow the Corris Mine Explorers ad on this website.

My favourite is Cwmorthin. Ideally you'd need a guide as there's miles of tunnels and chambers spread over many floors...

Basically, just look around this website - use the search for slate mines in N Wales then look around any that have a photo gallery and take your pick!

Suggest you post on here before you visit any to get up to date access and safety info.

Clive

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Rigghead is a disgrace, the members of whichever climbing club owns ithe hut should be strung up by the goolies & left for the crows. But no, there aren't a large number of large chambers easily accessible. If you spend any amount of time in the Lakes however some if the surface stuff is worth a look, particularly the far eastern fells, Longsleddale, Troutbeck sort of areas.

Those quarries listed by bogeyman are ok but mine-exploring has a far richer tapestry to weave than the small number of places that get trotted out as suggestions time & time again. The Peak District (I think) would be the closest major underground area to you. Loads of proper exploring to do there even if there aren't so many big chambers. I've only done SRT trips there but maybe a local might have some suitable suggestions?

What is there up long sleddle?. not a million miles away in pooley so would love a look over.

was up Rigghead on may bank holls and it is a mess, old chemical toilets ect. make proper lakes visitors look on in shame.
never been in the hut but one report said it was a bit of a strow.

had great day wandering through rigghead then a jaunt up dale head and back down to campsite at Grange. Spied out Dale head mine for future trip

Wren Gill slate Quarries,Longsleddale,well worth a look on fine day,parking a bit restricted at road head,bit of a walk to them from parked car

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I don't believe that a caving club owns the guy at Rigghead... It's a climbing hut as far as I know.
Most of the big workings there are higher up and blocked.
North Wales has plenty of big chambers but the slate workings in Cumbria are hardly small. Even most North Welsh slate mines have chambers far smaller than those within the 'chasm' within Moss Head.

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I spent Sunday afternoon exploring Rigghead and have posted a few photographs in the Rigghead album. The rubbish might be off putting at first but lots to admire beyond those areas.

Last I heard the hut was owned by York Mountaineering Association.

Some years ago we had a gentleman who fly tipped a large load of his rubbish at a mine we were opening up (to work). Stupidly he left several documents in it with his name and address - I just bagged it all up, went to his house and emptied the lot across his lawn and flower beds while he sat in the window watching. He didn't come out to ask what I was doing.

Be nice to find where that lot live and do the same to them.