Lesser Garth flooding

[mikem]

Has the quarry hit cave or mine water? First one speculating that the cave has been destroyed

Taffs Well & Nantgarw History Group | Shocked to learn that this may have been destroyed along with the damage done to local’s property’s in the explosion at the quarry today | Facebook

Shocked to learn that this may have been destroyed along with the damage done to local’s property’s in the explosion at the quarry today . I hope it’s incorrect

www.facebook.com

Gwaelod-y-Garth residents evacuated after flood strikes village

One resident says he was met with a "wall of water" when he went to see what was going on.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[mikem]

Locals reckon they have breached the Garth iron mines (waters are certainly red!), apparently munitions were stored down there during WW2, so could be a contributory factor:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[Caver Keith]

Thanks for the post. This explains a mystery. I woke up this morning to find that my Lesser Garth Cave video which I made in 2012 has suddenly gained a lot of views, all coming from external links. Now I know why.

 

[Maj]

Short video as the water floods down the road:-
https://www.facebook.com/reel/4799722140299026

More photos and info here:-

River of mud devastates Welsh village minutes after residents heard explosion

Emergency services are working after many residents were evacuated and others have stayed behind to clear mud and rubble

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[alanw]

My post over at Buddlepit: https://buddlepit.co.uk/community/i...d-village-flooded-after-quarry-incident.1558/

 

[mikem]

So, it's the north side of quarry affected (Lesser Garth cave is SE)

Garth Iron Mine - Pentyrch

 

[Stuart France]

This tragic incident does not concern Lesser Garth Cave which is well beyond the reach of any underground lakes and on the south side of the hill. Likewise it is not at Fforest Fawr or Castell Coch either, both on the far NE side of A470, where there are unrelated old mine workings.

The gated adit leading to the underground lake in Garth Iron Mine seen in these photos:

http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/attachments/garthironmine2.jpg

http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/attachments/garthironmine1.jpg

is at:

Location Map.

Streetmap.co.uk provides on-line street level maps for the whole of the UK

streetmap.co.uk

which is in line with the flooded Gwaelod-yr-Garth village lying to the NE of these Victorian era iron mines and the modern quarry complex on the hilltop.

The lakes go deep (40m) below the level of the gated adit with, I understand, no known bottom outlet. The flooded old ironstone workings themselves are well beneath the modern surface quarries. There are older workings too on the steep escarpment around the area of the adit. The speed and quantity of water and vast debris seen in news reports suggest that these lakes dewatered suddenly under tremendous pressure through some sizeable but hidden portal breaking open in the general area of the familiar adit above the village to which the escaping water and debris ran. There are media reports of a blast at the quarry near the time of the incident which the police and HSE are investigating.

The BBC report at:

Cardiff residents call for quarry to shut after flooding 'incident'

Residents were forced to evacuate their flooded homes after "a quarry incident" on Thursday.

www.bbc.co.uk

shows the junction of Heol Berry (Berry Road) and Main Road, and more images along Heol Berry.

 

[mikem]

More of those photos including plans can be found from the link I posted:

Mines Forum - click image

Click on image to enlarge then click on thumbnails to navigate

www.flickr.com

 

[Stuart France]

An update from tonight's BBC Radio Wales main news bulletin. Breedon Group has admitted that the village flooding incident followed a planned blast at their Garth Hill quarry and is now working with investigators and with Cardiff Council to mitigate the impact of the flooding. The main impact has been on properties in and around Heol Berry where 15 homes were affected - of which 13 were evacuated last night. Interviewed Gwaelod-y-Garth (Bottom-of-Hill in English) village residents said that their homes were being shaken on a weekly basis by blasts at the active quarry, resulting in cracks and structural damage to their houses.

No doubt the investigation will look into all that and structural damage to the geology of this locality which contains or did contain those underground lakes.