sinnerman
Well-known member
Florence Iron Ore mine was first opened in 1900 after two years work sinking it's Shaft to a depth of 305ft. The mine was the last deep iron ore mine in western europe and has only recently closed. For many years the mine was supported by the tourist industry in the form of a heritage centre offering mine tours while three full time miners continued to mine iron ore on an ad hoc basis. The mine also benifited from Nuclear power industry. Until 2006 BNFL pumped 400 tonnes of water an hour from the warren of tunnels to cool the reactors at its plant at Sellafield. But the water is no longer required and BNFL stopped paying the £100,000 a year pumping bill and the tunnels began to flood at a rate of a meter a day. Plans were suggested to convert florence into a secure underground storage facility for neclear waste but these have fallen through. Attempts to use alternative energy scources such as wind power to keep the pumps running failed and now the Mine is abandoned it has been sold on to a property developer for housing and is awaiting clearence.
Although the buildings eluded me there is a lovely little headgear i wanted to climb. The mine yard is also full of dumped equipment including three intact oldham charging racks. I had a good look around and a little venture down the mine adit not much to see now the workings have flooded though. Just as i was about to climb the headgear a little chap poped round the corners and i was expecting the usualy f*@K off so i made like a harmless photographer. He only wanted me to move my car a little so he could get a trailer out of the mine yard and the left me to it. So as soon as he was gone up i went, loved the yellow sheaves its probebrbly the safest headgear ive been up yet but there were a few dodgy steps on the way up.
Although the buildings eluded me there is a lovely little headgear i wanted to climb. The mine yard is also full of dumped equipment including three intact oldham charging racks. I had a good look around and a little venture down the mine adit not much to see now the workings have flooded though. Just as i was about to climb the headgear a little chap poped round the corners and i was expecting the usualy f*@K off so i made like a harmless photographer. He only wanted me to move my car a little so he could get a trailer out of the mine yard and the left me to it. So as soon as he was gone up i went, loved the yellow sheaves its probebrbly the safest headgear ive been up yet but there were a few dodgy steps on the way up.
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