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Thriddle and New Engine Shafts, and Surface Features, Red Dell Valley, Coniston.


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Around the base of the Thriddle Incline there are a number of surface features. Centre to all the pumping and haulage requirements for the New Engine and Thriddle Shafts was Millican's water wheel, named after its operator. The wheel itself has long gone, but the remains of its pit, and water races can be clearly seen. The water wheel drove the winding system for the New Engine Shaft and the pump rods and winder for the Thriddle Shaft. For the Thriddle shaft the pump rods ran up the Thriddle Incline were they entered the Thriddle Shaft Day Level to meet up with the balance bob at the shaft top.

Thriddle Shaft reaches all the way down to Deep Level, a total of 150m. It also intersects Fleming's and Taylor's Levels. The West Bonsor Shaft was the original shaft that provided access to the deeper workings on the Bonsor Vein. It was superceeded in the 1840's by the New Engine Shaft, which was sunk for the purpose of bringing ore up from the deepest workings in the Coniston complex. The shafts depth to Deep Level from the surface is 100m, and it carries on to the 170 Fathom Level for another 311m, from this deep part of the mine it also provided drainage for the 205 Fathom Level, some 64m further below.