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Wednesday 30 May 2012

Rock Cemetery

After spending a day under Nottingham then loosing my memory card I headed back up north but as I was passing I dropped in on Rock cemetery
The interior of the caves seen in the Rock Cemetery. These are man made, and could predate the cemetery, as there is a long history of cave excavation for shelter and dwelling in the Nottingham sandstone. The green colouring is the result of moss or algal growth. The caves are barriered off and are used to some extent for storage
All in all an epic day in caves, culverts and drains. Nottingham I salute you

GK Ford

I have had an epic day under Nottingham but sadly dropped my memory card in Beck Valley storm drain and last saw it vanishing into the river along with most of my pics anyway on the way home I visited Rock cemetery and this little culvert in chesterfield
The river now disappears for about 100 yards. According to mapping it runs parallel along Chatsworth Road then turns a right angle back away from the road, still under GK FORD and appears around the other side for the new car showroom.
the twin infall was the most interesting bit of the culvert and I wouldn't go out of my way to visit it It does have some bloody massive fish in it though Might be worth checking the stability of the walls if anyone from the council reads this

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Craft Supplies, Millers Dale

First off if the site owners see this I am really sorry for the muddy footprints everywhere, I'd just crawled out of a mine that was knee deep in mud and water and as I had parked in the craft supplies car park it would have been rude not to have a look.
The earliest were water-powered corn mills, but later, after the opening of the new turnpike road between Tideswell and Buxton in 1812 which provided easier access, there were mills for timber, silk, cotton – and even distilled peppermint! Thus Miller’s Dale gets its name from the abundance of water-mills that once flourished here, and there was probably a mill here at the time of the Norman Conquest, although Miller’s Dale is not recorded in the Domesday Book. The earliest mention of a mill in the Wye Valley comes from the late thirteenth century Tideswell parish register which records the grant to a Tideswell miller of land to erect a corn mill. This mill was later owned by the monks of Lenton Abbey who farmed in nearby Monks Dale, and following the Dissolution, the ownership was transferred to the Duke of Devonshire.

Full history of the area can be found HERE
Access was easy and yet inside is in decent condition, I think someone might be squatting inside but it's a different class of squatter as they like Rose wine and pot plants o_O Not really my thing but if your in the area and you like derps you've got a week until it's up for auction.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Friday 11 May 2012

Haddon Tunnel

Haddon Tunnel is a tunnel in Derbyshire, England built by the Midland Railway extending the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway from Rowsley to Buxton, opened in 1863. Although the line closed in 1967, it has historic interest, for it was on the Midland Railway (and LMS) main line from London to Manchester, and there are ambitious plans by Peak Rail to reopen it as part of its extension to Bakewell. It had been constructed entirely to hide it from the view of the Duke of Rutland where the line passed Haddon Hall. It is 1,058 yards (967 m) long and, being close to the surface, it was mostly built by the 'cut and cover' method. There were five ventilation shafts, one being the full width of the double-track tunnel, the deepest being only 12 feet (3.7 m).
I failed to get into the first site I was looking at so decided to head down Haddon Tunnel instead. The entry is easy but with it raining there was a small waterfall over the entrance so I was soaked :( Entrance

After this I found it was warmer to be naked than in my wet clothes so I decided to continue on in just my wellys


A remaining sleeper at the cutting

Limescale carried down in the water pouring through the tunnel walls has coated everything making it look petrified

And finally looking back

Thursday 10 May 2012

In the Evening News

I started a petition to open up Victoria arches to the public and the MEN decided to run the story :)

http://menmedia.co.uk/clicky



Wednesday 9 May 2012

Torr Vale Water tunnels

I've known about these for a while but I always seem to fail
The entrance and the british weather has a lot to do with the fails The mill above is now a live site and the gates are locked and have CCTV pointed at them. Looking at the water level and I figured it was do able so went for it, half way across the river looked pretty and I considered getting the camera out for a pic from the middle of the weir but decided that it was too cold to go for a swim and carried on. the bottom arch is back filled as is the other side o it only left two ways in here are the tunnel pics. I love the reflection on this The small square you can see at the end is just big enough to crawl through and leads into the mill The opening lead into this single room with just one door out that was sealed up piled up machinery and crates of cotton one of the battered looms

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Hanging Flat

Finally back home from the day from hell I headed out looking for an epic mine (which I found but needed a ladder) so I headed to Hanging Flat. The entrance is very dodgy and a tight squeeze but once inside it opens out.
An early 20th century lead mine worked for its fluorspar and galena content.
Before it was "sealed" tv programs such as Peak Practice and Dr Who used the mine as a set. Past here there is a collapse which I wasn't going anywhere near
The cart wheels are seized and it wouldn't roll :( Thanks for looking