Hollandtwine Mine...

Rob

Well-known member
For those that don't know, Hollandtwine is a lost mine shaft up on Dirtlow rake that was explored up until the 1970's, at which point the surface was dug up by the workings up there and then re-landscaped to the state that it is in today, without the shaft being capped. Before it was "lost" the main shaft reached to a depth of 365ft and then workings off that led down to 420ft. Quite a bit of natural was found including some chambers and a stream way with a number of pitches. However, according to old mine records a "Great Swallow" was reached at a depth of 600ft, water that almost certainly is connected somehow to Lake Passage in Peak Cavern (Doom's Retreat is about 750 metres North East of the entrance shaft!).

Over the last year a great deal of research has been done towards relocating this shaft, including the purchasing of old maps and aerial photos to pinpoint its position to within a metre.

Collaboration with the Peak Park, English Nature, the land owner, and the Dirtlow quarry manager has recently all come together to give permission for a short term excavation of the site with the hope of finding the shaft (estimated by different sources to be between 15 - 50 foot down). Fortunately for us, that whole area of Dirtlow Rake is undergoing a huge landscaping project at the moment meaning a whole load of large dumpers and 360 diggers are up there. An agreement with the site manager has been made allowing us to borrow a 360 and driver for a few hours to dig our hole, at a small price. This is hopefully going ahead on next Saturday (Jan 20th).

However, after the land owner has already had a 6 year long dig operating on his land (Titan), he does not want a long term scar in the middle of another one of his fields. This leaves us with a few options, depending upon what we find on Saturday.

1. We find nothing interesting at all, just a 20ft deep hole with not even a draught at the bottom.
  - Outcome = fill the hole back in while we have a digger present and gracefully walk away with "at least we tried" attitude.

2. We find a great big shaft, hopefully don't loose the digger down it, and every one is happy.
  - Outcome = immediate fencing to be erected around the site and lid capping materials to be sourced. Spoil back filled around a central shaft

3. We find something inconclusive, maybe a ginged shaft or a big draught from the centre of our hole.
  - Outcome = a difficult decision to be made, probably by those involved in the project present at the time. May involve some of point 2, leaving a 20ft shaft down to the dig face where it can be continued by interested parties.

Unfortunately point 1 is probably the most likely. However, if something is found that is worth keeping, some work will need to be done that day with the main objective of making it safe. Then over the next few weeks the shaft will need to be built and the spoil back filled to level of the surrounding area.

So, who’s up for some fettling?

It would be great to have some preliminary names down for this Sunday. In the event that work is needed to be done I can let you know on the Saturday evening. From then on most days will be a good day for help.

We will also be very interested in getting all the materials (fence posts, wire, wood, boards, concrete, etc) on the cheap, some for saturday, some for later on. Any offers?
 

drainrat

Member
Rob,

I'm up for some fettling, so put me down preliminarily for Sunday. I may be busy down an 'ole elsewhere but if not I will come and find the lost shaft of Hollandtwine.

Drainrat.
 

SamT

Moderator
Eyup rob.
Gonna be away Im afraid - otherwise - I'd be up for it.

I know Dan Hibberts of the Eldon is well up for it (He was up there this weekend looking as he thought it was happening then, and you could try Jim Lister too.

I have a roll of barb wire at bagshawe - and a bit of sheep netting too if you want it.

Couldn't you get one of those dumpers across to the field to remove the titan spoil. Seems like too good an oportunity to miss.
 

Rob

Well-known member
Cheers for the barb wire offer, have PM'd you...

Good idea with the dumpers but a lot of the heap was moved before xmas so it's not that bad. Also last week it seems like there has been quite a big collapse within the choke and the spol heap has dropped considerably. Which is good but discerning!
 

SamT

Moderator
Hi rob,

Make sure you record everything that you did. GPS, photos etc.

Even if you dont find it, Some young cavers may have the chance to search again in the future, and any clues/hints/evidence they can glean will be of assitance to them.

Guess things like the Eldon or TSG journals are the best repositorys for such info, as well as things like the UKcaving Wiki.

Good luck for saturday. I'll still be recovering from my nightshift  :sleep:
 

Rob

Well-known member
Just heard that Andy, the quarry site manager, cannot spare a digger and driver for a couple weekends still, so we will postpone the digging for now.  Will keep you all posted...
 

Dickie

Active member
I went down there with T pot in the 70's, when he was still connected with the Pegasus. They did a lot of the work there, so some of their more "mature" members might be able to give some clues.
 

Mark

Well-known member
Theres a lot of snow on the ground up there at the moment, just wondering if its worth having a look for any blowholes, (climbing shafts or owt)
 

Mark

Well-known member
Tried to get up there today to look for blow holes, but the snow was too deep for the escort van (wishes land rover hadnt been nicked) there is lots of snow cover it would be worthwile trying to get up and have a look
 
T

T pot 1

Guest
Just got back from Mexico DF where i have been trying find out if it is at all possible to take an expedition back to Cuetzalan
Give me  a few days and i will supply a grid referance to the top dead centre of the Hollantwine shaft, this grid will come off an autocad ground survey, don't ask where this comes from
I also know where the climbing shaft is located, this may be a better option because it is not in the big pit area

T pot
 

Rob

Well-known member
Cool, will be good to see if yours and our grid references are the same. Lets hope so or we may create a little problem!

Yer, i heard from Henry that you knew where the climbing shafts surfaced. This would be extremely interesting. I have found no reference to them above the 150ft level. This would indeed be worth investigating some snowy day me thinks!
 
T

T pot 1

Guest
I don't think you will find any blow holes, the shaft when plugged had small waste tipped down first, this settled on the platform at 150ft and then a huge boulder was forced into the top of the shaft by a 360 degree excavator so sealing it completly.
This was to stop any cavers maintaining any access at the time by the then operator of the site whom i knew very well

T pot
 
B

BenM

Guest
Just wondering how this went guys... did you give it a shot in the end? Any luck?
 
T

tamesider

Guest
Ford & Rieuwerts, "Lead mining in the Peak District" 1968  provide a small diagram of the surface arrangements and a grid reference 140.813. The horse gin is most likely to show up in aerial photos and the winding shaft was about 6-8 feet from its entrance on the SE side, adjacent to the wall of a coe, but outside the coe. No surrounding landmarks were shown on the plan

Not been there for years so haven't seen its present state. Aerial photos likely to be the only way forward if the horse gin, coe and the crushing floor, 40 feet to the SE of the shaft have gone. However the mine is stated to be 300 yards to the north-east of Hazard mine, 136.812 which may be helpful -if that is still there!  Best wishes
 

SamT

Moderator
Lost for ever it would seem

- see

http://w01-0504.web.dircon.net/pdc/cave0703.htm#hollandtwine

unless a way can be found in from Hazard
 

traff

Member
I'm glad tamesider brought this up as thought about this a while ago.

I don't know that area well, however i've read that Hazard is still there.

Quote "The shaft is in a good state of preservation and covered by an iron grill for safety reasons. It is in excess of 360 feet deep and is a perfect example of this type of shaft."

Also in Ford and Rieuwerts book it states "It was connected at times with Hollandtwine Mine"


 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
Have any dye tests proved positive to Doom's?

It strikes me that even if access to the known (in the '70's) parts of Hollandtwine then that doesn't mean that access to the "Great Swallow" is possible (if it exists) and that 750m is quite a long way away for a vadose connection in that area.
 
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