Hi all

I am looking for any mapping of Mandale as well as any info people may have

I have looked on Adit Now and on COTPD guide book not a mass of info really

Best way to approach ?
Accsess issues ?
Who's land ?
How close can you get in a 4 x 4 ?

Are all questions that I might ask don't wish to upset anyone

Thanks in advance 






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I don't know about the ownership of the fields above, but the main entrances by the river are on Haddon Estate land, with no vehicular access, as it's a riverside (public) footpath. And it's within the Lathkilldale National Nature Reserve, a SSSI and is also a Scheduled Monument, hence is extremely protected - though this info wasn't very hard to find - well worth a read:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016755

COPD has a reasonable description of what's in there. There's a simple survey of Mandale Mine in one of Jim Rieuwerts' books, but there's little detail, as there's not much that isn't accessed via the main sough level, and there's not much extra even then. You can find just about everything in one trip in summer, as it's mostly dry - I've been as far as is possible up the sough without breathing apparatus, and it's pretty sketchy up there and a long way from home if anything goes wrong, as there's a roof collapse held up with optimistic recent timbering that must be passed to get to that stage. There's also some flooded stopes, but they empty in summer, so not much diving potential!

It's probably the second-earliest documented mine in Derbyshire after Odin, so it's held in very high regard, and there are no access issues at all as long as you lock the gate after entering - and as long as you don't turn up in a 4 X 4, and then you might upset someone. Why would you need a 4 X 4 for a trip to Mandale? I find a small caving bag holds more than enough. Unless you're planning to drop the Forefield Shaft instead, in which case you probably would upset someone else, as access is no longer allowed, as far as I know.

I can't work out why you don't know all this already though.

I've never had need to know much about it really to be quite honest only been once and that was for project work


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Thanks for the info will pop tomorrow for a look

Might not be worth diving it if nothing much flooded


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I doubt it would be safe enough even if it were flooded. The larger flooded stope has some collapse blocks the size of a small car. This was taken in November when levels were higher, but I've seen this stope when it's completely empty, and it's a long way down - especially when using the handline traverse with no cowstails. Far better to fall a metre and get wet than ten and get splattered.

There's a survey from the late 1960s available in this PDMHS bulletin article: http://pdmhs.com/docs/default-source/bulletins/bulletin-04-1/a-survey-of-mandale-mine-lathkill-dale.pdf?sfvrsn=2 but this was done before the collapse shown at the end of it was dug through to regain sough access.

Dropping Forefield Shaft is not permitted by the landowner and AFAIK it has a pretty solid cap on it. Daytime parking needs to be in the public car park in Over Haddon; you can drive down to the ford but there's no parking at the bottom and the parking area halfway down the hill is meant to be disabled parking - you can get away with using it evenings outside of high season but you might get bother using it at the moment. Although the track up the the mine is driveable, you'd need permission from the landowner (Melbourne Hall estate) to do this.

Thanks


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AR said:

There's a survey from the late 1960s available in this PDMHS bulletin article: http://pdmhs.com/docs/default-source/bulletins/bulletin-04-1/a-survey-of-mandale-mine-lathkill-dale.pdf?sfvrsn=2 but this was done before the collapse shown at the end of it was dug through to regain sough access.

Dropping Forefield Shaft is not permitted by the landowner and AFAIK it has a pretty solid cap on it. Daytime parking needs to be in the public car park in Over Haddon; you can drive down to the ford but there's no parking at the bottom and the parking area halfway down the hill is meant to be disabled parking - you can get away with using it evenings outside of high season but you might get bother using it at the moment. Although the track up the the mine is driveable, you'd need permission from the landowner (Melbourne Hall estate) to do this.

Click to expand...

Good info

Very keen to not upset anyone that's all can drop big kit at ford then park at top


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It's not a nice place to dive but still bits to look at


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From what I recall, from the entrance to the first flooded stopes is a reasonable distance from the gate by the engine house - you may want a hand lugging dive kit. From the stopes a lower level runs below the sough back towards the entrance. These can be explored in dry / drought years by those who dont like diving.  I think I recall Bill Whitehouse descibing a trip along the lower level once. The big shaft from surface (Forefield / Founder?) continues below the sough. It is about 300' from the cap to water BUT the landowner removed the shaft hillock and cast a concrete slab with no access after a rescue of some lads from the sough after a collapse trapped them. It featured in an episode of "999" for those who can remember back that far!

When you get passed the hand line traverse the passage walls become very flakey and a short way on there is a collapse. With the right gear it would very easily be passed and make for an interesting project. I and others were gonna do it, hence the arrival of the handline traverse ropes (they could do with being checked).

Pipster, one for you if you've got a few evenings to spare.

I went and dived the first two bits with the ropes across first one goes for a good bit and keeps going and the second one was a blind

Loads more to look at further in two more options

But we stoped at the nasty bit held up by old wood


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Sorry that was me it never shows me what account I'm longed into on this talk pad thing


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The old wood bit is probably Pete's attempt at suring up!!!

[emoji23]


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