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After the trip on New Year's Eve is was time for another venture
for Hannah into the underground. Sal had mentioned Alderley Edge a few times to
me and the fact that it would be a good place to take Hannah to. I arranged a
trip with Glasses and James (his son) who know the mines inside out. We met at
the National Trust carpark, then got kitted up and walked over to the Engine
Vein mine entrance. Unlocking the door, we entered the mine. On the walls we
noticed lots of white bits, which turned out to be dead insects with a mouldy
growth on them. From the entrance passage we headed down a slope which took us
to the main passage of Engine Vein. We went to see the Roman Shaft and then
headed to a large chamber where we could see the concrete roof that was put in,
in the early 80's to stop the public from falling into the mine. We then went
to the iron bridge and staircase to see the First Upper Chamber and saw our
first big dose of blue copper staining. Hannah was amazed by it. She has seen
my photos of Paddy End at Coniston Copper mines and had always wanted to see
these blue colours… Taking her to Adlerley seemed a safer bet.
We
then headed over to the top of the Blue Shaft and put Hannah on a safety rope.
James went first followed by me, Hannah and Glasses. At first Hannah was a bit
hesitant to go down from the staging, but she was alright after I told her I
would be right underneath her. She took to it with no problem and soon was
making her way down the laddered shaft at a right good pace. We stopped on the
way down to admire the fantastic blue copper staining and had to keep her
little mits from touching it. Finally reaching the bottom we arrived on the
Hough Level. I was impressed that she negotiated the shaft without being that
phased. From the bottom we headed towards the impressively rebuilt ore chute at
the bottom of Bear Pit. Passing under this brought us to a junction with tubs
on rails, in fact the whole level was railed and Glasses told me that these had
been put in when the level had been dug out!
From the junction we headed
towards Brynlow Mine going along an excavated sandstone passage full of
different reddish colours and the occasional outcrop of oxidised galena.
Eventually we reached the dock where the remains of the old wooden boat from
the 1930's could be seen. Glasses proposed that we go for a little trip on the
modern canoe that has been brought in to see the green copper stained rise
further along that was known as the Green Waterfall. Hannah at this point
stated that she did not want to go. No way was I missing out, so I told that it
was OK to stay, but we were all going and she would have to stay on her own. My
rouse worked and she quickly stated that she was going to come after all. After
reaching the colourfully decorated rise we turned back and headed for dry
passage. When we got back to the tub junction it was high time for lunch; beans
and chorizo with bread and bakewell tart on the menu today. Once filled up we
headed back towards the bottom of Blue Shaft. Carrying on past it we reached
the bottom of Square Shaft and had a look at the coffin levels here. I
pretended to get stuck and Hannah tried to push and pull me free, ah the silly
fun you can have. Going further along the level we tried to see if we could
reach the entrance of Hough Level, but near the end it was sumped a bit and all
I saw was a reflection of daylight from round the corner.
Turning back
and heading up the level, we could feel the incline on it. At the bottom of
Blue Shaft we made our way up to the top with no issues, Hannah was a right
little shaft rat. Finally emerging out of the entrance we went to have a look
at the Engine Vein open cut. Then it was back to the carpark to get changed and
some delicious hot chocolate at the Wizard Tearoom. |
