Since my last visit progress has been slow, not for the will of
trying, but for the fact that the ground in the shaft has been extremely bad.
Large amounts of timber and scaffold have had to be put in to make the hanging
wall safe and stable. Long holes have been drilled through the collapse
material and into solid rock on the other side. These have then had 15mm steel
rods put into them forming additional supports for the collapse material above.
Whilst I was visiting this time round Pete had established air flow
again with the opening of two rat holes on either side of the side walls in the
shaft. On the right hand side (north east) the first view of the hanging wall
Little Limestone was seen, giving a firm indicator of current depth down the
shaft. Over the next weeks, hopefully the excavation of more collapse material
will open the rat holes up and more information will be gained as to the
location of the Little Limestone Levels. From cross sections of the plans that
we have it looks like the Little Limestone Level is staggered. The north east
side is on a higher horizon than the south west side one.
The next few
weeks could be very interesting as to what is discovered, could finally an
entrance be made into some workings and levels. Will the levels be intact and
lead to over sumps going down into the Great Limestone? |