Author Topic: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine  (Read 6863 times)

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« on: 20:25:18, 06/01/08 »
Today, me and Brian and six others from Cumbria Mines Rescue went  about a mile into Smallcleugh Mine at nenthead and cooked and ate breakfast.

Dont try this by yourselves. Sausages and bacon are full of cholesterol and are very dangerous.

Some pics attached...

The glittery stuff on the ceiling is just little water droplets. Its not an optical illusion - thats what it looks like.

A pic of the breakfast is included to show just how dangerous it was.

Me and Brian will be doing some proper walking in the next week or so...
« Last Edit: 22:47:50, 06/01/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #1 on: 20:26:44, 06/01/08 »
A couple of extra pics...
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

walkinggirluk

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 611
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #2 on: 01:24:32, 07/01/08 »
Phenomenal never done pot holing before, may like to try it one day looks like proper fun.  LOVED the pictures.  Cheers Mike...... 
peace and tranquillity in the countryside. clean your rubbish up after you  respect it.


clean it bin it

False_Summit_Veteran

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 247
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #3 on: 16:49:06, 07/01/08 »
Hope that was with a steaming cup of tea, coffee's just not right with a full english.

On the topic of mines though, that's something I want to explore this year, not really looking for cave exploration, but a couple of people I know have been trying to get me to do mines. 

I think the comment that sold it to me was mines were designed to drain, caves are not intentionally self draining.  True or false?
Any Moel's a goal.

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #4 on: 16:59:28, 07/01/08 »
I think thats probably right - mines have wet levels to bring out water and don't seem to be affected too much by whats going on outside, in terms of rainfall etc.
I wouldnt go into one unless it was with somebody very experienced, though - they can be a bit hazardous (!) (loose roofs, false floors, big holes etc) and quite complex inside....  probably a bit more hazardous than most popular caves due to instability.  But for all that, what you're doing is wandering through some industrial archeology. In and around Smallcleugh, for instance, they dropped a stream down a deep shaft to compress air for powering machinery. Very clever stuff...

Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

False_Summit_Veteran

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 247
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #5 on: 17:50:47, 07/01/08 »
IBut for all that, what you're doing is wandering through some industrial archeology.

Indeed!  That's the kind of thing I'd be interested in seeing.

One of the chaps is very experienced and had access to keys/combination locks to gates, maps and that kind of thing.  He does volunteer to help make mines accessible, he's a font of knowledge, I have nothing but respect for the chap... and he knows my limitations.  I'd trust him to impress me without undue danger but plenty of excitement.
Any Moel's a goal.

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #6 on: 18:39:49, 07/01/08 »
Ideal - you'll have great fun, get very wet and mucky and collect  lots of sparkly rocks.... sometimes I think we really need to grow up!
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

wellerchap

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 74
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #7 on: 20:10:54, 07/01/08 »
I hope this isn't a silly question, but are there issues with lighting gas stoves a mile into a mine system?
My brother still works down coalmines (yes, there ARE one or two left up in Yorkshire!) & for 20-odd years has implored me to get myself down one as he's always said they're fascinating places to go.

For the record, I have strong black coffee with my fried breakfasts !  :)

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #8 on: 20:21:04, 07/01/08 »
Its not a silly question at all. The mine is pretty well ventilated and has ventilation doors at various intervals - all of which are jammed open.  There is some stale air a bit deeper in - at a point where the roof has fallen in. Where we cooked was in a place called Wheel Flats. A "Flat" is an area which holds a lot of ore and the one we were in had been mined out, leaving quite a large cavern., and given the fresh air input and the size of the cavern, I reckon we just about got away with it! There's also quite a bit of rather suspicious dust in the air - given that there's also a fair amount of galena knocking about as well, it makes you wonder exactly what's in the dust. (?lead)
The other groups did complain that the smell of bacon and sausage was unfair as they only had tuna and tomato sandwhiches. But we had lots of spare scoff, and they could have had some if they'd wanted. Food hygiene regulations were blatently flouted, though.

But whats this ...some stop press latest pics have come in... Santa trapped down a mine with his little helper and another with some blokes stuffing themselves with fatty stuff. Not sure who the eeejit on the left  is, showing his fork....
But your brother is quite right, though, mines are fascinating places. I understand there's quite a good coal mine museum - in a real coal mine somewhere near Barnsley/Wakefield area. Has to be worth a trip.
« Last Edit: 20:32:50, 07/01/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

wellerchap

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 74
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #9 on: 00:15:43, 11/01/08 »
you've got me in the mood to visit the Mining Museum now!
It's only 11 miles from where I live, and would make a nice walk back after the visit....my missus could drop me off there, go underground for an hour or so, then walk back home.
The best thing is, it's all free to visit!

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #10 on: 10:24:10, 11/01/08 »
My mate visited it in November and he was very impressed - and he'd been a miner/tunneller at one time
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

Mr. Blister

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 565
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #11 on: 09:27:35, 13/01/08 »
I love this thread, makes a nice change from the walking reports.  I went in a mine in Nth. Wales once, but that was in the days prior to digital and so shall see about scanning them in.

Didn't do any cooking though.  Some of these pics remind me of those I've seen from the Paris catacombs, some people go down, walk miles down tunnels and then cook themselves a full dinner  :)

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #12 on: 13:40:50, 13/01/08 »
Didn't do any cooking though.  Some of these pics remind me of those I've seen from the Paris catacombs, some people go down, walk miles down tunnels and then cook themselves a full dinner  :)

Its not broth is it?   They dont ?! ......not the bones!.......
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

Mr. Blister

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 565
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #13 on: 17:06:48, 15/01/08 »
Its not broth is it?   They dont ?! ......not the bones!.......

Ha Ha Ha, no I don't think they do out with the bones.

Personally, Mike, I'm not convinced you haven't been down there. I'm half expecting you to post up a couple of pictures from the last time you were exploring the under-streets of Paris  ;)

mike knipe

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2872
Re: All day breakfast at Smallcleugh Mine
« Reply #14 on: 21:23:38, 15/01/08 »
nah, never been....  I try not to get involved with anything to do with bones, or anything spooky like that...
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

See the blog!  www.northernpies.blogspot.com

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy