THE PARC LEAD MINE



Details

Map References.
Number 2 adit= SH8685980.
Number 3 adit=SH78776015
Number 5 adit=SH78806075

Surface remains

=In the early 1970s it was possible to see what remained of the mill buildings.
Sadly no surface remains exist today around adit no3, but along the approach to adit no2 there still remains the old powder house partially obscured by trees and a not so old transformer house.

First Visit


My first aquaintance with Parc, was back in 1976.
My Brother had read about it whilst carrying out a geological survey as part of a goelogy qualification.
We entered the mine on level 3 , the entrance was not gated and the main buildings were still standing all be it a little tatty ( picture below).
We followed the tunnel for a long time untill we reached a fall with water issuing in a reasonable quantity through it. In the area were a set of ladders and stagings. We climbed the ladders until stopped by one missing. We then visited level 2 . Again the entrance was open and we entered. Following the level we came to a Tee junction. Turning left we encountered signs saying " Keep Out" and found the barred gate behind which an experiment was being carried out , ( The Boston Tidal Experiment). To the right of the gate we descended ladders with large pipes alongside (see photo) and reached a chamber with wooden staging bridging it. As we had no ropes we could not descend and returned to the Tee junction. I cannot remember investigating the right hand level but we were to return later ( approx 20 years later)

Ladders

Mill
Level3

Later Visits


A return visit in approx 1996 showed that the forestry commission had made the whole area ( population friendly ) ,Not quite following their normal policy of demolish and forget when dealing with irriplaceable evidence of industrial history, they had landscaped, capped shafts for bats and sealed the entrances to prevent the general public from harm and thus conform with legal requirements I suppose.
This proved very dissapointing to a born mole like myself who promises to return to investigate.

Parc Mine Pictures

Park pictures

More pics coming soon------------------.

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