Brewery Shaft
The
Brewery Shaft is a 3.6m diameter concrete lined shaft which goes down to the
Nent Force Level and Rampgill Deep Level. From the surface it is 100m deep and
from the side access on Rampgill Horse Level it is 78m deep. Originally the
shaft was know as the Deep Sump, and its name changed to the current one after
the London Lead Company purchased the land that it was located on from the
Alston Brewery Company.
The shaft
originally was used for access to the Nent Force Level and for driving the
Rampgill Deep Level (also known as the Admiralty Low Level). When the Vieille
Montagne Zinc Company acquired the Nenthead Mine leases from the Nenthead and
Tynedale Company the shaft ended up being used to create compressed air for
driving drilling and winching machinery, pumping and ventilation. Part of the
water was also used to generate electricity. At the bottom there are
compressors, generators, air receivers and many artifacts.
The
compressed air and electricity was generated by using water power, the whole
scheme being introduced by the Belgium Vieille Montagne Zinc Company in the
early 1900's. The two water reservoirs in the Nent Valley (Perry's and Handsome
Mea, also known as Smallcleugh) along with a third one near Coalcleugh provided
the water which travelled in large diameter pipes to the Brewery Shaft top.
Here the water travelled up a tower 27m high, and then it dropped down the
shaft. The purpose of the tower was to introduce air into the water stream
before it continued down the pipes to the shaft bottom. The water travelled in
two 23cm pipes down to the bottom of the shaft into a air receiver. The air
receiver separated the air / water mixture and created the compression of the
air. The water out flow from the receiver returned up the shaft in a 30cm pipe
into a collection tank located on the Rampgill Horse Level. From the tank it
returned via a 23cm pipe back down the shaft driving a 102cm diameter pelton
turbine which in turn via gear boxes drove two compressors.
There is
also a 10cm water feed pipe from the surface collection tank which was used to
drive a twin pelton wheel electricity generator. The power output was 8KW at
230VAC and the electricity was used to power the company offices and reportedly
also some street lighting in Nenthead. The waste water from the generator and
pelton compressors was fed into the Nent Force Level to drain away in Alston
some 5 miles away.
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First Winch
Trip - At long last we get down to have a look the easy way.
(Karli,
Karl, and Mike), 4th December 2005. |
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