Since opening up the engine shaft back in June, getting a proper lid sorted and installed has been firmly on the "to do" list. The Eldon are therefore extremely grateful to have recently had one of the best traditional metal workers in the world join the clan. Hal Debes, with his apprentice young Dylan, work at Portobello Engineering and over the summer have put some of their skills to work on the task. Lockdowns and Cussey momentarily took attention away from Intake Dale, but in November the new lid was bolted into place and a good few whiskies enjoyed to celebrate the moment (or crappy lager if you’re a Dylan).
And oh boy, what a lid!
The site was later cleared of the scaffold tripod and all the crap that was hauled out of the shaft. All that now awaits is the finishing off of the walling around the lid front, which the DCA have again volunteered to do once the weather improved (supposedly due to the mortar curing temperature, but we all know the real reason). As with Cussey, a large Derbyshire key is required to open the lid, however curious visitors are asked to hold off until the lid walling is made good.
The new lid over the engine, with the old entrance in the cliff in the distance