This is the only accessible underground area on the Cambokeels
mine site. Entering the Horse level adit we immediately hit very fine stone
arching, which was in perfect condition - the Beaumount's certainly knew their
craft. Shortly we passed a ventilation door and then further in another one
which took us into the ventilation room where we found a sheet metal fabricated
duct system and a large fan. Passing through a third door we entered the Horse
Level again. Here an air vent could be seen going up to the surface and day
light could be seen.
A few metres more and we reached a short section or
arching and past this a junction with a left and right branch. We took the
right hand branch first, and this ended in a fall 10m or so in. To our surprise
there was secondary blue stained mineralisation on the walls. Returning to the
junction we took the other branch which passed under some timbered roof
supports. The supports have seen better days and surely enough a few metres in
they had fallen. It was possible to scramble up the fall into a large cavity.
This looked like it intersected a working and the fall must have been around a
rise or hopper. A shaft could be seen going up, along with some blind little
levels. Leaning against the walls we spotted some drill steels. In the
direction of what would have been the horse level it was possible to see the
roof timbers of the level below. Moving one of them revealed the flooded horse
level below. We carefully exited this rather unstable area and retraced our
route out. |
