So this is the bigger of the two silica mines at Dinas, and is in many ways a lot more interesting than the middle one. Both were part of a huge complex of mines that straddle Dinas Rock and several of them are almost completely flooded. This one, because it is relatively high up, has some substantial galleries that are dry, though you can see a number of launching points which the cave divers use to access the flooded galleries. The water purity is extraordinary; the day we went there had clearly been no-one in there for some time (divers or otherwise) and the standing water was like cut glass. We were down there for about 3 hours, and we could have spent longer, but I was suffering from flu and the air quality was a bit troublesome TBH.
The entrance - there's still a lot of ironwork in the ceiling especially hooks, presumably for running electrical cable.
dinasup0021
dinasup0014
I think this is a tub wagon - there was a tramway that ran all the way around the mine complex, both above and below ground:
dinasup0011
There's still a lot of remnants of the tramway around and about
dinasup0031
dinasup0035
dinasup0096
A lot of the supports are traditional "pillar and stall" , including this one, which was obviously partially bricked up to stop it collapsing:
dinasup0038
And in other places, there are timber piles doing the same job
dinasup0041
dinasup0054
dinasup0078
Like, I said the water quality down there is amazing. In the first one of the these two, it's really hard to convince yourself that the floor of the mine isn't just sloping away, rather than just a reflection in the water. The second one is, apparently, a point that a lot of divers use to explore the lower, flooded galleries.
dinasup0045
dinasup0049
Lots of stuff still in here, some of it very old.....
dinasup0051
dinasup0056
dinasup0085
Some beautiful colouration in the rock as well.....
dinasup0081
dinasup0074
dinasup0076
All in all, a really good explore. The only problem (other than my incipient influenza) was the condensation. I end up with at least fifty gash photos because of the dust and moisture - which I guess is just the price you pay for doing photography in old mines - but it was a shame to miss out on some good photos of the side vents which come out in the rock face further up (Fluff might have a few of these).
Enjoy!
GDZ
The entrance - there's still a lot of ironwork in the ceiling especially hooks, presumably for running electrical cable.
dinasup0021dinasup0014 I think this is a tub wagon - there was a tramway that ran all the way around the mine complex, both above and below ground:
dinasup0011There's still a lot of remnants of the tramway around and about
dinasup0031 dinasup0035 dinasup0096 A lot of the supports are traditional "pillar and stall" , including this one, which was obviously partially bricked up to stop it collapsing:
dinasup0038And in other places, there are timber piles doing the same job
dinasup0041 dinasup0054 dinasup0078 Like, I said the water quality down there is amazing. In the first one of the these two, it's really hard to convince yourself that the floor of the mine isn't just sloping away, rather than just a reflection in the water. The second one is, apparently, a point that a lot of divers use to explore the lower, flooded galleries.
dinasup0045 dinasup0049 Lots of stuff still in here, some of it very old.....
dinasup0051 dinasup0056 dinasup0085Some beautiful colouration in the rock as well.....
dinasup0081 dinasup0074 dinasup0076 All in all, a really good explore. The only problem (other than my incipient influenza) was the condensation. I end up with at least fifty gash photos because of the dust and moisture - which I guess is just the price you pay for doing photography in old mines - but it was a shame to miss out on some good photos of the side vents which come out in the rock face further up (Fluff might have a few of these).
Enjoy!
GDZ
