ARCHIVE - Beckermet Mine drainage adit 171009
 

Early morning start, lots of dew scattered over the fields and along the river bank!
It was cold (bloody freezing) and dark (but getting lighter) as we walked a 1/4 mile from the church to the adit entrance.

The Beckermet Mining Co. Ltd. was formed in 1903 after preliminary surface drilling had shown some hematite ore. No. 1 shaft was sunk to 1,164 ft. after the formation of the company and production started in 1906. This vertical shaft was deepened to its present level of 1,374 ft. between 1912 and 1915. Sinking on No. 2 shaft, also vertical, was commenced in 1916, and after bottoming at a depth of 1,247 ft. production was obtained through it in 1918.

The date 1918 can be made out above
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The Undertaker striking a very shivery pose :D
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Access was a bit of a squeeze for a big fella like me
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Looking back the way we went in, beneath my feet is the sump that controls the water flow out of the adit into Kirk Beck
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Fantastic arched construction with corrigated sheets above the iron work
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Another tight squeeze through the red clay that almost seems to have been placed here on purpose (maybe to deter explorers)
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My favourite shot of the trip..... This is the Beckermet No1 shaft at a point 106' below the surface, The water that was teeming down from the surface was absolutely immence!
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looking through the torrent of water to see the pipes and cables that run nigh on 1400' to the bottom of the shaft
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Another tight squeeze through the red clay that almost seems to have been placed here on purpose (maybe to deter explorers


SHOULD HAVE BEEN
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