Shafts/workings near Layby Shelter/Hanging Flat, Stoney Middleton

martinb

Member
On my way home earlier this afternoon from caving, I decided to stop at Layby Shelter and have a shufty. Anyway, walking back to the car, I decided to follow the clear path rising up the hillside eastwards.

There was Hanging Flat Mine, (been there, seen that), and question Number 1 - Hanging Flat was draughting like buggery. AFAIK there are not any further entrances to Hanging Flat?

Then I walked up the hillside further into the ancient quarry, on the right, slightly further up was an impressive shaft, and directly opposite was a smaller, blocked shaft.

Question number 2: what are those, they're not in COPD?

Ta.
 

Pete K

Well-known member
I figured they were the top of the filled in/collapsed sections in the left fork of Hanging Flat, like modern stoping blasted out and then filled in.
 

martinb

Member
Pete K said:
I figured they were the top of the filled in/collapsed sections in the left fork of Hanging Flat, like modern stoping blasted out and then filled in.

Eeeyup Pete, long time, no see. I remember furtling around in HFM about 8 or 9 years ago, and saw collapse/choke on the left fork, but the very deep sahft to the right seems to be in the wrong place for that?
 

Pete K

Well-known member
Possibly, it's been ages since I was in so memory may be a bit hazy now.
Time for a return visit perhaps.
 

AR

Well-known member
There's no shafts shown on the 1898 25" OS in the vicinity of Hanging Flat Farm. It could be blowing through the stopes, but I also have a vague recollection of seeing a possible older shaft going up in there. Must go back for a look some time....
 

Rob

Well-known member
I assumed that open shaft is above the workings at the current end of the right hand fork of HFM. I even have a vague recollection of seeing a cross section of the surface shaft, and am sure it is has a name. I can't think of it now and digging through my records hasn't helped, but i'm sure someone on here will know....
 

AR

Well-known member
There is a shaft marked in the area on the 1922 25", and I've a recollection of previous discussions on here about the proximity of Watergrove Sough to Hanging Flat, upstream of the choke.
 

martinb

Member
AR said:
There is a shaft marked in the area on the 1922 25", and I've a recollection of previous discussions on here about the proximity of Watergrove Sough to Hanging Flat, upstream of the choke.

I seem to remember my mate who I used to cave with - he's buggered off to South Wales recently - telling me that the unstable workings on the right hand fork of HFM possibly intersecting Watergrove Sough.

He was all for giving it a go digging until he saw the actual state of the workings in Hanging Flat....... :eek:

The shaft in question is quite big, probably 10m across, by 5m wide and seems to go down a good 15 to 20m, from the lip I couldn't actually see the bottom/floor - assuming there is one!

The other 'shaft' directly opposite on the other side of the quarry had much water worn evidence, but seemed to be blocked after barely a few meters.
 

martinb

Member
A small bell went off and I found this:

34771541855_a128d97ec8_b.jpg


The shaft is the one marked 'hole 'b'' on the survey to the right of 'Natural cavity on joint'.

I think the other blocked shaft may be the 'Possible choked shaft'.

The grey line running upper left to lower right is the assumed course of Watergrove Sough IIRC - not put there by me, but overlaid by my mate.

You may notice that the right hand fork of HFM didn't exsist when this survey was produced........

Now then, anyone up for digging? Hmmm?
 

AR

Well-known member
The shaft shown on the 1922 OS (viewable here courtesy of the NLS: http://maps.nls.uk/view/114587108) is just off that plan but on that presumed line of Watergrove Sough. The lower workings of Hanging Flat aren't all that bad, though I've never had a poke in the floor.
 

Brains

Well-known member
Off topic!
The Carlswark Eyam Dale shaft and Gin Entrance / Resurgence dont appear to be shown on the map AR has linked to, but Merlins is named... Anyone know when these entrances to the Wonder Cavern were first recorded or worked? The map is marked as revised 1919
 

martinb

Member
Brains said:
Off topic!
The Carlswark Eyam Dale shaft and Gin Entrance / Resurgence dont appear to be shown on the map AR has linked to, but Merlins is named... Anyone know when these entrances to the Wonder Cavern were first recorded or worked? The map is marked as revised 1919

Can't remember who dug Eyam shaft - I think in the 60's or 70's, and Gin was dug from the inside in the 70's/80's. Resurgence was the main way in for years, and was MUCH bigger than it is now due to the locals since using the area in front as a village rubbish tip. Another way in was the shaft that dropped into big dig, but that hasn't been passable for many a year.
 

Pete K

Well-known member
Offtopic

martinb said:
Another way in was the shaft that dropped into big dig, but that hasn't been passable for many a year.

Still on my very long to do list that one. Needs a bit of a cap and cementing before any major clearing can be done. The Stub Scrin shaft is now even more easy to access following the creation of the new track up from the layby to EDHC as it passes both Fireset and the Stub Scrin shaft.

/Ontopic
 

2xw

Active member
That's an interesting map martinb. I assume that the small phreatic in the left fork of HFM links to the rightward trending phreatic in Layby Shelter
 

martinb

Member
2xw said:
That's an interesting map martinb. I assume that the small phreatic in the left fork of HFM links to the rightward trending phreatic in Layby Shelter

Its been a while, but IIRC that phreatic in HFM is very much silt filled to almost the top.
 

mch

Member
martinb said:
You may notice that the right hand fork of HFM didn't exsist when this survey was produced........

Only just picked up on this thread. It's actually the left hand fork that isn't shown on the survey, ie the later 70s/80s fluorspar workings.
 

martinb

Member
mch said:
martinb said:
You may notice that the right hand fork of HFM didn't exsist when this survey was produced........

Only just picked up on this thread. It's actually the left hand fork that isn't shown on the survey, ie the later 70s/80s fluorspar workings.

Is it? Oops.... :-[

I must go back and check out HFM again, does my memory serve me that the same silt filled tube is visible in both branches?
 

mch

Member
No, from memory (about 5 years since I was last in there) I'm pretty sure that it isn't.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
As I remember from my only visit, the phreatic does cut across both passages, but it's only just poking through on the right. That feature was intriguing. I too was baffled by that survey!
 

2xw

Active member
The silt filled phreatic is on both sides of the passage on the left hand fork, and pokes out on the left in the right hand fork before becoming what looks to be a rift.

The phreatic that comes out of the back of Layby Shelter (john Becks dig) was extended by a small team including myself last year by an additional 25 feet and is a similarly sized silt filled phreatic trending rightwards towards HFM.

If I was to wildly speculate it looks likely they may link in some way (with maybe a passage going left into that big blank area..... :p )
 
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