All these years of going to Nenthead and neither of us have ever
been into Tynebottom mine - it was time to address this. We had a lazy start
and monster breakfast cooked up by Pete, then we made our way over to
Garrigill, made the 'trespass fee' and headed over to the
mine.
Tynebottom has two adits and we went into the one that is just of
the footpath, this is known as Tynebottom A or more correctly as Wisen's Level.
We knew that there was not much to see in terms of distance as the inner
workings of the mine are not accessible due to falls but it was still nice to
be going somewhere new for a change. Entering, the level was nicely arched and
in good condition, at around 90m in there was a junction to the right, this
lead to a short blind level that had a flooded sump near its forehead. Around
the sump there were a lot of calcite formations. Back on the main level shortly
past the junction we passed another flooded sump on the left, this looked to
connect to the sump in the blind short level and it hinted at a flooded working
below. Moving on up the level we came to a chamber that signalled the start of
the flats along the North Vein. Here we headed northeast through them.
The flats were mostly backfilled with a level through them, though
further along they opened out. In sections of the flats there were deposits of
pinky red erythrite (cobalt) leaching out of the walls. From the flats it was
possible to gain access into a level below. The level passed under the flats
and in one section it opened out quite wide. At this point we saw a lot of
white calcification on the pack walls that looked very impressive. Soon we came
to a junction and looking down the main level we could see daylight in the
distance. This was the second drive into the mine, which is known as Tynebottom
B or the Sun Vein Level. The junction was a three way one, looking inbye, we
had come from the right. There was a lot of water flowing past in the level and
we ended taking the left side of the junction to have a look. This is the part
of the mine where there is loads of water coming out from under the arching
over the bed rock. Moving past the water fall show, we reached another
junction. Left carried on along the North Vein, but came to a fall and right
went to an oil drum dig that was open, but past that it ended in a fall. The
oil drum branch leads on to the Windshaw Bridge Vein.
Returning back to
the three was junction we took the middle branch which was basically straight
on. This entered a small flat and if you carried on straight a bit more you
reached the forehead - William Robson's. Back out in the flat bearing right it
was possible to crawl over the deads and end up back in the wider flats that we
ended up entering the lower level from. We started on out via the Sun Vein
Level, and came to a crosscut on the left, this was Israel Nall's by Bargain
driven on the Tynebottom West of Tyne Vein, it wasn't very long, and there was
a little chamber that had been excavated. On a mound of mud, Pete noticed some
spoor, something was living in here. Heading back out on the main level we
noticed sections were there were lots of bright white calcification again. Soon
we reached the adit and came out by the river. |
