Mandale Mine Revisited

This week we returned to Lathkilldale to further investigate the Mandale Mine sough.
We parked in the same spot as last week at Conksbury Bridge, with the weather being a lot kinder this week.
As usual there were no people around at this early time, but there were a few birds about. This heron was sitting quite nicely but as soon as we got within shooting range it kept moving on. The pic was taken through the cover of a couple of tree's.

Heron on the weir

  A bit further on these two cock pheasants were squaring up to each other but as soon as we got close they were off.

We arrived at the sough prepared with torches to see how far we could get underground. Rob was first in followed by Ike then me and Geoff.

At the entrance to the sough, torches at the ready.

Ike found some hand chisel marks on a rock.

Me at the furthest point in.

When inside it was bone dry and a lot warmer than outside. Looking at the walls and roof its remarkable to think these were constructed almost 200 years ago.
We probably got in about 150 metres at the most before the way ahead was blocked. You can see the rubble on the floor in the pic with Ike. Rob crawled over this and got to a T junction, on the left was a vertical shaft going up and on the right the passage carried on but we decided not to go in any further.

This section had plant material hanging from the roof.

When the torches were switched off it was absolutely pitch black. On the way back down the tunnel we stopped to take pics where the roots were hanging from the roof, shining the torches around Ike spotted an open shaft above our heads. This went up about 20 feet and you could see where it had been capped from above.

Vertical shaft - looks more like a black hole

From about 20 feet inside looking out.

Out of the sough and up to the Mandale Mine and pump house. This old stone building housed a huge beam pump which was used to pump water up from the mine workings.
In 1839 a massive water wheel was installed and this could pump the water from 27 metres below the sough level. The water to power the wheel came from a header "pond" quite some way up stream, it travelled along a leat and had to cross the river Lathkill on Wooden launders supported by huge stone pillars.

The pump house at Mandale Mine

The Blackbrook Explorers!!

Remains of the launder supports

We carried on up to Batemans House to have our breakfast, and Geoff just had to go down the ladder to check out the hand powered floodlights which lit up the shaft under the house.

The bridge over the dry river Lathkill

Geoff , coming up from the viewing level.

Even Rambo had a break in Batemans House.

We headed back towards the car at a nice steady pace to make sure Ike got back in time for the pub. There were a few people about on the return and a bit more wildlife.

Whats a group of fungi called?

There were lots of Goldfinches about, these 2 having a bath.

Weir on the river Lathkilldale

This swan shows a new meaning to "wind your neck in"

On the way up the hill to the car its very steep and we all were feeling it, then we were all passed by a bunch of cyclists, Ike just said well we were all young once.

Oh to be young!!

 Just up the hill from Conksbury Bridge we spotted a strange looking stone in the entrance to a farm. We stopped to have a look and it turned out to be an old mile post.

Old mile post to Bakewell & Sheffield.

The milestone had been moved from the top of Haddon Hill

 We were photographing the stone when this lovely lady came out to see what we were doing. After Geoff had charmed her she was a mine of information. Her family had lived in this farm for 250 years. When questioned about the stone she told us how the council had moved it from Haddon Hill years ago, although she didn't know why. 

Joan Dale

Joan said she had a couple of old books one of which had information about her farm. She told us part of the farm used to be a toll road and her great grandfather used to take the money from the travellers.
Ike was chuntering about the time, so it was back in the car and off home.
See you next week.
Cheers