Spar Mine, Moss Rake

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
Fossiking about on Batham Gate I see that the (presumed) spar mine by the side of the road has now been abandoned. A couple of dead diggers lie about.  These could be useful if some club were to buy them.

Also the current working face of Earle's has cut through lots of features to the west of the one published here which looks natural:-

3219918311_2a448bf5af_b.jpg
 

T pot 2

Active member
Hi mrs Trellis
This spar mine was formerly owned by Jack Eidson of Tideswell it is now owned (i think) named Shatwell. This mine worked until the late 90's the supervisors name was Llyme. All of the shafts on moss Rake were descended during the 70's before they were quarried away. There are a few shafts remaining these being Raddle pits mine, High rake shaft & Hill top shaft the later is the most interesting because it is the only one that has an active stream. Drop down the main shaft and you will eventualy drop out below a wooden platform that is in a delicate state of decay
you need to be able to swing into the level where the water comes from but the swing on the rope would dislogdge the platform your'e under, alternativly you could continue down but with no shaft bottom in sight and the volume of water issuing out of this level again you may dislodge the platform. When I first went down here the platform didn't look to bad but after a descent some 10yrs back it is looked far worse

T pot
 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
Hi Tpot, Thanks for that. Earlier this year I saw some blokes there and the shaft to the north of the road was open. I guess they were salvaging some gear or just tidying up.It may be worth sussing out the two vehicles abandoned there before they are vandalised beyond repair.
 

T pot 2

Active member
Hi again
Here is a brief description of the exploration of Raddlepits Mine in the early 70's (this mine was known then as Moss Rake Mine) Persons involved in the exploration were from the Pegasus Caving Club & BEC
The descent into the shaft was achieved using electron ladder & lifeline to the bottom of the shaft (360') where the cartgate is located. This cartgate ran for approx 150' to a crosscut level in the base of the floor that went north for approx 500' (the cartgate is now unaccesable because of collapse) We then used the climbing shasft at the 120' level (where the platform is today) to further the explorations. From this level you have spiral staircase going up with tipping truck at the top,
this level used to lead via climbing shafts to a voice connection at the surface. From the 120' platform going down a series of other climbing shafts lead to other large levels going east and west. The level that was the most interesting was the one that had to be accessed  for the cartgate in the sole of the mine (the collapse now makes this impossible but with a little work it could be reopened) directly after the collapse ther are two water worn seemingly natural shafts going up, the first is the one that requires climbing, at the top of this you access anonother set of climbing shafts that take you into a series of levels that yuo cannot get into from the main shaft. The best level is another cartgate the has gritstone arches that lead via ore chutes into a large phreatic back filled level. This level is some 12' x 8' high headiding east & west, it was possible to crawl over the backfill in both directions for some considerable distance. I hope that this brief description is enough to answer a few questions.
Here are another few things that happen way back then
Tony Jarret found x2 pewter t'owd man water bottles, clay pipes and a selection of tools at the far end of the bottom cart gate.
The collapse it the bottom cartgate was caused by myself, I had to be rescued from there !

If you look in Jarrets logbooks this is all there to be read (1974 I think)

In the 80's A Medhurst & Buster took an interest in the mine, The Kibble that was on rails at the 120' level was retrieved and taken to Pindale outdoor centre where it still stands today.

Others have looked at this mine over the years but have not managed to find the phreatic passage at the back of the gritstone arches. The keystones of which if I remember correctly have the initials JH chisled into them.
That brings to mind another undescended mine that has a gritstone arch at approx 20' from surface that has the same initials( James Hall) I wonder, but thats another story.

T pot
 

in cumbria?

Active member
This is probably one for T-pot?

Same area - but further over towards crematorium pot.

Seem to remember (7/8 years ago) a flat stone slab close to public footpath in grazing land uphill from batham pot but lower down than crematorium.
Lifting slab revealed small opening approx 1ft dia to rift/pot/shaft.
Remember thinking at the time that it was possibly part of moss rake and slab had been put there by farmer. Thinking back now, it was a fair distance up the hill from moss rake so could well be something else?
No signs of digging/excavation and did not have lamp with me.
Naver managed to get back for a better nosey.
Ideas?
 

Mrs Trellis

Well-known member
According to Google maps - how the feck do you embed the code? - the mine is on Clement Lane and there's a direct line of sight downhill (NE) to Batham Pot and then New Venture. Google maps "Moss Rake" and the move west 2 clicks and south 1 click and you'll see the dogleg in the road (Clement Lane).

Is this and Raddlepits Mine (qv)  one and the same?


Another defunct digger question - is the one perched precariously at the edge of Pindale the one which attempted to find Hollandtwine?
 

T pot 2

Active member
In Cumbria
This sounds like the top of a climbing shaft. It would be nice to know it's exact location considering that it was much further uphill than Moss Rake. The crosscut off the main cartgate at the bottom Raddle Pits Mine that I mentioned was covered at its northern end with a concrete slab, this slab is still visible on the surface. To locate the slab stand at the shaft top and walk east 200' then turn north and walk approx 500' in the direction of Hollandtwine untill you arrive above Long Rake, Here you should (vegitation permiting) find the slab


T pot
 
T pot 2 said:
Others have looked at this mine over the years but have not managed to find the phreatic passage at the back of the gritstone arches. The keystones of which if I remember correctly have the initials JH chisled into them.
That brings to mind another undescended mine that has a gritstone arch at approx 20' from surface that has the same initials( James Hall) I wonder, but thats another story.

T pot

Eh up T - Me and PB Smith plus a couple of others tried to get into a shaft on one of the parallel rakes between Eldon Quarry / Rowter Farm that was covered by a huge boulder. About 20 feet down you could see into a nice stone lined arch leading off the shaft. Is this the one you mean? I remember this quite vividly as my mate who was with us gave himself a nasty injury trying to shift the boulder.... This was more than 10 years ago. Never went back. We never did get in.

Dan.
 

T pot 2

Active member
Dan
Yes thats the one. PB said that someone had broken their fingers whilst trying to lift the boulder.  The interest from my view is that it is on the same rake as Slitherstones 1, 2 & 3 shafts, these mines had some very large natural chambers in them. The one with the boulder is the next open shaft to the east so I wonder if they did conect at some time in the past. Raddle pits mine is on Moss Rake just above the abandoned spar mine and requires digging on the bottom level in order to get to the phreatic passage that I and Tony jarret found (see tony's journals 1974 I think) The other shaft further west on Moss Rake covered by large boulders is descendable to where you can see a large stream come out of the shaft side below you but to swing into it you would dislodge the hanging death that is above and around you. I and Tony Revell looked into puting some RSJ's in place but didn't get round to it. This would be a great project because this is the only place on Moss Rake apart from Bagshawe Cavern that has a very large active stream all year round.
 

Turner

New member
I remember some natural opening up at blue circle, But was more concerned about getting the landrover one of the shotfire's had driven into it at the time.
 

cavermark

New member
in cumbria? said:
Same area - but further over towards crematorium pot.

Seem to remember (7/8 years ago) a flat stone slab close to public footpath in grazing land uphill from batham pot but lower down than crematorium.
Lifting slab revealed small opening approx 1ft dia to rift/pot/shaft.

Is it in the same field as Crem? There is a rake line that runs SW from batham pot and Longrake shaft then becomes indistinct close to wall where the water main was put in across the same area. In this area I dropped a 15ft shaft (loosely ginged around the top) that doglegged down a short rift to mud/sand floor blocked. I put a concrete paving slab on top that we had at Crem to stop any sheep falling down it.
I think it may Shaft "E" (or one of those - don't have my journals to hand) referred to in a SUSS journal from 1968 I think. The interesting one shaft "A" I think is lost when the water pipe was put across the field..
 
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