I've just found your report on the Pecaedrain tunnel. You did a follow up visit to explore the possible mine off the tunnel and did not give a definite answer to the reason for the mine. May I suggest it could be linked to the silica mines in the area.
BlackMountainSite Forum » Tunnels
Pencaedrain Tunnel
(5 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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You may! I thought of this as well; silica mines are prolific in the area. The level cuts through coal seams, and it's very oily, but this may just be coincidence and its original purpose was for silica.
I think I need to do another visit to look for clues. One things for sure, from the lintel and tool marks it was cut from the tunnel outwards. Also, it opens on to a ledge that's very hard to access from outside.
I'll keep investigating; hopefully one day we'll have a definite answer.
Posted 1 year ago # -
i was intrigued about the drift mine in the Pencaedrain tunnel. I went in years ago, and noticed the drift entrance. As i was on my own and theoretically working i didn,t hang about. i thought it might have been a sort of store place for the tunnel builders. as you drive from hirwaun to glyn neath on the dual carriageway, you can see where the spoil has been tipped over the tunnel mouth at that end. it,s a strange thing this fascination with old tunnels, i,ve never had any desire to walk through a working tunnel(apart from the obvious danger)there,s not the same buzz
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm beginning to think we may never know the exact reason for the drift. I think you're right in that it's linked with silica mining; and my own gut feeling is that the drift predated the tunnel, and the tunnel builders intersected it during construction, or at least went very close to it and decided to link the two.
If it was purpose built for the tunnel, perhaps it was for drainage, as there is a slight downward slope away from the tunnel, and it is below the tunnel trackbed where they join.
Finding abandoned stuff to explore is great, tunnels or otherwise, and I have also never had the urge to snoop around in an in-use tunnel.
Posted 1 year ago # -
after my last post, i mentioned this excellent site to my long time friend ray evans, who is a loco driver with DB SCHENKER, i mentioned the "drift mine", and immediately he put forward the drainage adit suggestion, this would be unusual, but the most likely explanation
Posted 1 year ago #
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