LAP
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17 years ago


Photograph:

🔗Haig-Pit-Coal-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[linkphoto]Haig-Pit-Coal-Mine-User-Album-Image-001[/linkphoto][/link]

Hi all
This looks like a very impressive piece of equipment, is the shaft that it was once used for now flooded/capped - or is it still in working order?


cheers;
LAP
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

Captain Scarlet
17 years ago
The shaft is capped.
http://www.haigpit.com/page1.html 
STANDBY FOR ACTION!!!!...
LAP
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17 years ago
"Colonel Mustard" wrote:

The shaft is capped.
http://www.haigpit.com/page1.html 


Ok thanks for info, interesting link!
What a shame about the mine closing though; an end to a long era! I,ll have to visit the museum some time...
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

LAP
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17 years ago
Are there actually any mines in Whitehaven what's underground bits can be visited (apart from of course, the dark deady flats of Broughton Moor Colliery)


Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

ICLOK
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17 years ago
If you like headgears have a look at Clipstone I just put on.... went today... still awesome! :thumbup:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Creeper!!!!!
squirrel
17 years ago
LAP,

I heard there is a sealed up adit into Haig Pit area on the beach

Would be interested too to know about access to any old workings round there

Squirrel
Buckhill
17 years ago
No the adit on the beach doesn't give you access to the pit - it was only an outlet for the water pumped from deep down the shaft. The sealed entrance is the second outlet, replacing the original which collapsed due to movement of the cliffs and the adit was in a really bad condition before the pit closed, the broken pipeline down the cliff having been constructed to avoid use of the drift. Even if you could get past the wall, packs and falls you would meet a solid concrete plug at the shaft inset. The shafts were all completely filled, with concrete plugs at each inset, and there is no way of accessing the workings.
Dochol
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17 years ago
I second that. On my last visit underground at Haig, they were filling the other shaft as we decended the remaining shaft! Does anyone know the status of the Mainband Colliery Drift down the road from Haig? It was a failed venture to work the Mainband seam years after the closure of Haig. Never did get to go down the drift but wondered whether it too had now been sealed and lost forever.
LAP
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17 years ago
Thanks for all the usefull tips folks,
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

Dochol
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17 years ago
Two other drifts that were accessible (of sorts) when I left Cumbria in the late eighties was a coal drift nr. Clifton, Workington and a Fire Clay drift nr Lowca. I think the latter may have been swept away by subsequent open cast mining in the area, but the first drift has been entered quite recently by unauthorised explorers so I'm told. To be honest, rather them than me - too many unseen dangers associated with coal seams eg gas.
squirrel
17 years ago
Hi,

Interesting information.

Any grid refs for any of those mines?

Squirrel
Dochol
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17 years ago
Mainband Colliery 54 30'57.26N 3 34'19.51W

Micklam Fire Clay Drift 54 35'23.50N 3 34'14.39W

Last visited 2 years after closure and the mine was still accessible.

Camerton Colliery Drift 54 39'52.08N 3 29'19.32W

After the colliery closed it was used for storage of ammunition and on my last visit still had a sentry post by the portal. I'm not sure whether it ever connected up with Birkhill Colliery at the RNAD Broughton Moor but the drift ran right under the complex! I was told someone had accessed the mine last year.
Buckhill
17 years ago
Take it you were down Haig Jan'86 Dochol when the filling of No 5 shaft (in photo) was going on. You're not quite right when you say you went down the remaining shaft - there were three, that's why it was possible to fill the drawing shaft and still maintain a ventilation circuit while the salvage was ongoing.

The other drifts you mention:-

Camerton - more than one drift there but think I know the one you mean- there are notices warning of trespass on the land where it is but more importantly only a b***** fool would want to go in there - blind end, blackdamp etc. It didn't connect with Buckhill and the storage of ammunition is hardly likely in any of them (potentially explosive atmosphere and no ventilation?).

Micklam - worked by British Steel under licence until closure and sealing in 1980. Drift entrance still visible but again entry would be trespass and b***** stupid.

Mainband - sealed last year after pressure from County Council and landowners, no production, no rents or royalties since 1991. Before sealing was flooded to surface. Licence holder was Egremont Mining Co (Florence)!!!!
Dochol
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17 years ago
Thanks for the update and I totally agree that no one in their right mind would ever want to enter any any of the mentioned mines today.

I do remember the ventilation shaft at Haig (was that No4?)by the main gate. It just seemed odd standing at the pit bottom of the main coal riding shaft (No5) listening to the infill falling 1500'! The cage ride in No6 was rapid to say the least and we spent over an hour in the winding house enjoying those engines whilst in steam. Just wish I had been able to video the experience. Ah! the memories.

I did have it on authority though that the MOD or whatever they were called at the time (WD?) did use one of the Camerton drifts for something other than coal extraction and the drift in question did have a sort of guardhouse at its portal.

Sorry to hear that Florence has closed now too!
Dochol
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17 years ago
New to the group/forum - I do have some surface pictures of the last dys at Haig. I'll try and get them on this site soon if anyone is interested.
Buckhill
17 years ago
The shaft up by the main gate was Thwaite, an old 1737 sinking which Haig connected to in 1933. Before that No 5 was the upcast ( no winding) and No 4 (beside it and the one you would have ridden) was the downcast and winding shaft. From then up until 1942 there were then 2 DCs (4 & 5) and 2 UCs, Thwaite & No 3 (Wellington). Thwaite was enlarged from 10 x 8 (elliptical) to 17 foot dia. and relined in 1942. The Wellington fan was then turned off and the shafts there capped. Nos 1 & 2 were filled in 1969 but No 3 is open (but securely capped), acting as a gas vent to the chimney on the hill above it.
LAP
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17 years ago
Was wondering around on beach today below Saltom Colliery (one with engine house on beach) and came across a narrow gauge axle jammed between two rocks, presumably from Saltom Colliery. I suppose all entrances to Saltom are now colsed?
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

hymac580c
17 years ago
Lap said-
Should Cumbria have independance from the rest of England?

No not a very good economic idea, unless vast oil reserves are found under Conniston lake. And gold is found in large quantities at Honiston slate mine. Therefore I think you will have to continue to be united with the rest of the UK and be governed by London. 🙂
Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
jagman
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17 years ago
"Dochol" wrote:


Camerton Colliery Drift 54 39'52.08N 3 29'19.32W

After the colliery closed it was used for storage of ammunition and on my last visit still had a sentry post by the portal. I'm not sure whether it ever connected up with Birkhill Colliery at the RNAD Broughton Moor but the drift ran right under the complex! I was told someone had accessed the mine last year.



"Someone" may well have entered last year but in the strongest possible terms it should be avoided. If anyone had hypothetically entered they would probably tell you something like this about the place-

There are two falls at the end of the brick lined adit both passable but air quality deteriorates rapidly beyond the falls. Infact oxygen drops to 10.4%, it will kill you very quickly.
The persons who (allegedly) did this trip used Breathing Apparatus which is no mean feat to get through the falls with. Even with massive amounts of equipment not much distance into the mine was achieved. Probably less than 600 yeards beyond the 2nd fall.
Roof level is low and uncomfortable, the walls are whitewashed and the floor levelled, brick arch re-inforcing is used in places and storage bays are signed. There is an emergency exit signposted to the other adit but there is a collapse that is impossible to negotiate with BA kit and there is insufficient oxygen to get through alive.
It does continue directly toward Birkhill but it is not know if it connects, it certainly appears to travel far enough in the right direction to be feasable.
It has undoubtedly been used by the WD at some point.
Non of the above should be in anyway interpretted that doing this mine is remotely feasable, it isn't. With several grands worth of equipment per man the expedition was of very very limited success. Even with all the equipment survival prospects are low.
Please take my word for it, its just not worth the risk of going in there. Not much to see and a good prospect of getting yourself very very dead.
LAP
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17 years ago
"hymac580c" wrote:

Lap said-
Should Cumbria have independance from the rest of England?

No not a very good economic idea, unless vast oil reserves are found under Conniston lake. And gold is found in large quantities at Honiston slate mine. Therefore I think you will have to continue to be united with the rest of the UK and be governed by London. 🙂



Yes well I wasn't actually being serious, but I still like the idea of bilingual signs in Cumbric (which unfortunatly no-one is sure about) ::) :lol:


anyway - back to Whitehaven...
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai

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