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Written by: Luke Cafferty

Published: 13 November 2020

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Luke and Jon. 12/11/20

With Rob and Jeff out down Cussey Jon and I were given the task of dropping a big mine shaft that Rob had found on a dog walk. He sent us a video on the group chat of him chucking a big rock down the shaft and it sounded DEEP! I happily volunteered to go and drop this, and Jon was going to come along for the ride. 

The mine in question is called Cackle Mackle Mine, we think, up on Longstone moor. It is covered by some huge wooden sleepers and pinned down with two metal rails. Looking at the photos I thought I would be able to pry the beams apart and loop a sling through but when we got there we quickly figured out that it would be impossible to move the beams even an inch, so new plan. Jon made quick work of digging out a wide enough hole so I would be able to slide under the beams, I noticed that a long girder had been placed under the wooden beams right in the middle of the shaft. We rigged a Y hang using two slings wrapped around the two side rails and I used this to get down underneath the beams. Once I was comfortably under I passed a sling around the girder and rigged off that, which let the rope hang perfectly smack bang down the middle of the shaft. I still could not see the bottom of this thing even with my torch on the brightest setting. So off I went down.

Luke descending Cackle Mackle Mine

The first 5m is all ginged but after that it’s just all solid walled. Going off how much rope we used to rig and what was left at the bottom I’d say it is a 60m shaft. The floor of the shaft has had a lot of rubbish thrown down but a way on is down a small slope. it's mostly hands and knees crawling in the workings and it is like a rabbits warren down there, little side passages going off everywhere and looping around to join back in with the main workings, very easy to get disorientated. I pushed most of the passages which either end in solid wall or small collapses. Down one steep slope I was posted out into a walking size rift. The floor was very wet mud so this obviously takes on some water at points. I followed one way until it got to a crawl, by this point I was starting to get a bit lost and since my wing man, Jon wasn't going to come down, something about his suit not being clean, I got a bit worried so decided to head back out. Finally found my way back to the shaft and set off with the long prussic out. All in all, a cool mine. Found a chiselled date of 1856 on the wall down there. We plan on going back down and surveying it. Of course the entry hole was carefully backfilled to make it even safer than when we first found it. 

Luke struggling his way out, by JonP

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Written by: Jon Pemberton

Published: 21 January 2020

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Just Luke and I on his return trip after child birth. Easy trip tonight surveying this old mine in Cressbrook Dale. Fairly straight forward trip on a rather cold evening including the upward extensions we pushed a few weeks ago. Total trip 2.5hrs, with a brief look at the push at the end of the mine. It looks easily passable albeit a bit tight around the rotten stemples which should be passed with extreme caution. Plans are made to return another time to explore and dig through this section.

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Written by: Jeff Wade

Published: 26 October 2019

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After acquiring a few free bed nights a Nenthead it only seemed fitting that we have a weekend up there to see a few mines, as for the majority of us it had been many years since our last visit.  Thankfully under the local capable hands of Dave Gledhill we stood half a chance of not getting lost and to see a few parts of the mine workings less visited. 

Saturday 5th Oct - Caplecleugh to Rampgill

For the Saturday a team of Julian, Ernie, Jon, Luke, Dave, and myself (Jeff), set off for a through trip of Caplecleugh to Rampgill.  For myself it was wetter than I remembered, and to be fair it had been raining a fair bit over the subsequent days.  Dave led us through the sough levels and on arrival in Smallcleugh we climbed up the ancient ladders into the workings above.  This was an insight, as generally in the stone clad sough level the size of the workings above are unknown.  Only on climbing up can the size of the workings be truly appreciated.  After a round trip in these upper levels we dropped back down and continued on the typical route through the system climbing up the calcited ladders taking in a few of the less visited passages, passing by the Ballroom before heading on to Rampgill.  All in all it was trip of about 7-8 hours underground and we were ready for some food.  Sadly Bob and Barny who were also with us on the weekend spent most of the Saturday morning looking for Bob´s collie that had run off on the moors.  She was later found at the vets, after a local had brought her in after turning up at her farmhouse. 

Unfortunately the Miners in Nenthead was not serving food due to a leek growing festival, so we had to head to Alston.  On arrival only half the town was illuminated due to a power cut.  Therefore our last option the Cumberland inn, we got served and then headed back to Nenthead to see some leeks and meet the locals. 

Sunday 6th Oct - Firestone Mine and Rampgill

For the Sunday the numbers had diminished, some on surface tasks, some with things to do at home.  Dave had selected a few simpler trips for the day, which started with Firestone mine that is mostly a dig.  Dave, Julian, Bob and collie, and myself (Jeff), set off for a view of their digging efforts.  It was impressive, I don´t think I have ever seen so many 1 tonne builders bags and sandbags stacked in one place underground.  A lot of passage had been regained, but the end was still yet to be seen too!  Bob came with us along the horizontal section, but headed out once we descend a series of calcited ladders, which on descending enlarged gradually in size to the deposition of the calcite, to the point that it was virtually impossible to place a foot between the runs and grip the sides of the ladders due to their size.  We headed out after this short trip and walked on down to Rampgill.  Here Dave took us on a trip up to the Norpex digs which is the level that branches off at Whiskey Bottle corner.  Here we passed through all of the Norpex digs and eventually climbed up into some dry workings above via ladders and jinged shafts.  Dave was keen to show us some traditional workings, but without a rope to climb across one of the open shafts by suspended plank (I was less than keen) we missed one of the better well kept bits.   One to return to another day.  Together we headed back out and took in a quick look at the Scaleburn Vein and the horse driven winding wheels. 

We came out to wind and horizontal rain in the middle of the afternoon.  A quick pack up and clean of the hut and back home we headed.