We have been meaning to visit Middlecleugh since the end of last
year and finally we have been able to get a look inside this mine which only
recently has been opened up by the hard work of CATMHS. The mine is locked, but
access can be obtained by asking the HPHT or CATMHS.
Once past the
entrance arching the level gives way to an unsupported shale passage, in a few
places there have been some minor collapses. After some 300m we came to the
first junction with the Middlecleugh North Vein, to the west the branch was
backfilled and we headed east. The east branch had numerous falls and we found
ourselves crawling avoiding contact with the roof. Eventually the passage
opened up in to sounder strata and we came to a sump on the right hand side.
This sump was heavily graffitted with dates and initials, but the most striking
feature was the chiseled image of a single humped camel. From here we carried
on and eventually we reached the junction with the Smallcleugh Cross Vein. We
carried on past this to see how far the passage was open. After crawling along
for a while and encountering deepish water we came to a large fall. We passed
this and very deep water stopped us from continuing. Karli and Peter started to
do some rock removal to try and lower the water level. This soon produced
results, and much to our surprise the water level dropped by around 30cm. The
water did not come through to the other side that we had come from and it
looked like it might have been draining down a choked sump below the collapse
judging by the plan?
We returned to the Smallcleugh Cross Vein junction
and explored this. Along this passage we found wooden rails set into the floor
and some 100m in, a walled sump could be seen on the left hand side. Past this
a branch to the right took us to a hopper and manway rise which was partially
collapsed. Alistair had a climb up, but his progress was halted by the risk of
more debris coming down on him. Back in the main passage we carried on passing
another sump on the right which again had many carvings of initials and dates.
Eventually we reached the forehead and returned back to the rise junction to
have lunch.
We retraced our route to the main drive in, and carried
along. Soon we picked up the large diameter water pipe and walking on this
helped to keep the chill away. At the branch with the Middlecleugh Second Sun
Vein, a deep flooded sump could be seen on the left. The right side headed into
MCSSV, this carried on for a while but the ground became very unstable and it
was not pursued - the 1984 Critchley report states that the branch ends in a
collapse not far in. Moving on, we finally reached the junction with Longcleugh
Vein, here we were some 700m in, and the light from the adit could still be
seen! At this junction there was a rise footed by a wall of heavy
calcification, looking up the rise a winch and chain could be seen. At this
junction, a right took us to a short passage that ended after 50m. The next
right was the western continuation of the Longcleugh Vein, however this ended
in a collapse. Only myself and Alistair went to the end and we thought the air
here was not that great.
Returning to the rise junction, three of the
party went in to look at the east side of Longcleugh Vein whilst I stayed
behind with Karl to take more photographs. Up on the others return reports of
flooded deep blue sumps were given, with the branch ultimately ending is a
collapse just past the left kinks.
The Middlecleugh Level when compared
to other mines was relatively barren of features, however the find of the
graffiti in many places more than compensated for this. The only avenues left
for further exploration are the numerous sumps and possible digs on the
Longcleugh, Middlecleugh North, and Middlecleugh Second Sun
Veins. |
