# Quartz Mine/Caves, Powys, South Wales



## garethrhyss (Oct 12, 2009)

My friends dragged me a long to look at come abandoned caves/mines. On the way there they told me some pretty creepy stuff about it and I was extremely on edge about the journey/adventure ahead of us.

By the time we got there the sun was already going down, and we were practically in the middle of nowhere. We're so lucky nothing went wrong as if we got trapped, there was no way of us getting rescued as there is no signal what-so-ever in these caves/mines.

While walking to the location, we walked past some sheer rock faces along side a river which was quite disorientating to look at. On the other side of the river it was obvious that experienced rock climbers come here to climb as you could see the hooks in the rock face.

What I wasn't told was that to get to the caves/mines in question we had to climb up next to a waterfall. It was pretty scary as none of uss had proper climbing gear or equipment, and the rocks were slippery and right next to a fast flowing waterfall.

Anyway, the first cave we entered we found out is an old quartz mine (or so i believe). Straight away the anxiety set in and got more intense as we entered deeper. I wasn't used to anything like this at alll! The cave gently sloped down and we kept walking for about 10 minutes until we came to an opening on our left, we walked down and the ceiling began to get lower. There was a smaller opening that went into a chamber, I didn't have the guts to enter so sat outside. There was a hoorrible smelll in the air, a bit like sulphur. A long amount of time in there and you begin to feel dizzy. Here is a photo facing downwards into a deeper part of the mine:







and another:





We didn't venture any deeper as at the end was some seriously deep water. Apparently only the most experienced of cave divers enter these mines to go cave diving.

Opening to the mine:





We moved onto the second. I wasn't sure what this mine was used foor, but I do know that its roughly one mile long and half a mile wide in the largest part of the mine. On entering the mine, you could feel a freezing cold draught, but then literally one foot forward and it felt as if you were in a sauna.

The entrance from inside the mine:





Most of the mine was held up by there rather unstable looking pillars:




Some of the pillars were even smaller!

More of the mine - 










As you can see, it's very dark in there! Me and a friend ventured quite deep, going through a rather scary looking opening. We walked for some time and to our right were deep pools of water. We eventually turned back because we came to an entrance into an even deeper part of the mine that was help up by nothing but two thin poles, safe to say we turned back and shortly left!

Sorry about the lack of pictures, but hope you can get a feel of what it was like there.


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## cogito (Oct 12, 2009)

The entrance to the first one sounds like one I went in years ago but couldn't remember where exactly...

Pics look good, looks pretty fun! Might have to give these a look.


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## klempner69 (Oct 12, 2009)

You took some very good pics down there..well done.


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## borntobemild (Oct 12, 2009)

nice pics - sounds like the old adrenaline was going!


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## Mole Man (Oct 12, 2009)

The place is Craig-Y-Ddinas and they are silica mines. Almost ended up there this Sunday just gone as I was up in Wales caving in the Swansea valley.

Some very good pictures there, there is a fair bit more there than you got to see looking at you pictures, as you can get down to the flooded levels and if I am right there are 10 or 12 entrances all the way up the valley.


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## Engineer (Oct 12, 2009)

*Dinas Silica Mine.*

A bit more here.

[ame]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=5689[/ame]


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## garethrhyss (Oct 13, 2009)

Thanks for that Engineer, a lot better than my photos!

We could have gone a lot deeper, but for some of us it was our first time and we had no safety gear what so ever!


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## Engineer (Oct 13, 2009)

*Silica Mine.*



garethrhyss said:


> Thanks for that Engineer, a lot better than my photos!
> 
> We could have gone a lot deeper, but for some of us it was our first time and we had no safety gear what so ever!



It's well worth a day out exploring the general area, lots more about including the old gunpowder works.

Your pics look OK to me.


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## Mole Man (Oct 13, 2009)

Would have to agree with Engineer, the old gunpowder works are well worth a look if you are up that way.


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## crickleymal (Oct 15, 2009)

How extensive are the mines? I fancy taking a run out that way one weekend if there's enough underground stuff for a couple of hours explore.


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## garethrhyss (Oct 15, 2009)

crickleymal said:


> How extensive are the mines? I fancy taking a run out that way one weekend if there's enough underground stuff for a couple of hours explore.



The second mine I went into, in the large chamber I think it's roughly a mile long and half a mile wide at the widest point.


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