MinesMine PlansLinksContactLinksHome

Hodgson's Low Level - Revisit (05/06/10)


Back to Hodgson's Low Level Trip Index


With some time to kill this morning, before going on to do something else we had a quick look in Hodgson's Low Level in an attempt to update some of the older photographs from the last time we had been in, some 6 years ago.

We crossed the practically non-existent Nent River and entered the portal. The first section was stone lined, but then this gave way to shale passage. Not far in there was a collection of wooden boards that you had to get over, wondering what these where for, we soon spotted slotted wooden uprights on either side, it looks like this was a little wooden dam. Heading further in, we past some back filled rises and then some others that were open. The first open on went up some 6m, into a little crosscut and then a bit higher. A small working that did not go anywhere. The second one went up a bit higher and seemed to open up into a natural rift and there where shot holes around the place. Back down in the level we noticed that the rail track in it was actually wooden, interesting. We carried on until the first junction, which veered off in a number of directions, all ending in falls or back fill. Here we spotted some picket fence wooden boards - some dig of Moles?

Back on the main level, we headed further in, until the area of fallen material from stoping above. Here a slide down a hole allowed you access back into the level. This is as far as we went last time, as the hole I am sure was filled in with deep water, no sign of it now. Poor memory or optical delusion? Carrying on, we soon came to the end of the road. Lots of deads and a set of points. Here, there were three options. On the left a back filled passage, too tight to go into, striaght on it looked like someone had been digging here, and you could get up into a cavity, however there were a number of loose looking rocks you would have to climb over and then hope nothing fell on you. Maybe the points had been used to try to dislodge some of the material. Finally to the right there was a partially backfilled passage, but this ended in a fall.