“Tim” said Samantha. “There are mines on this island.”
“Whoopsie” I said, as this sunk in.
We’d just got off the ferry in Sam’s van. Our caving gear, was back where we’d come from.
Somewhere nearby was an Iron Mine, where the Ore isn’t orange coloured like usual, but black. It was also the site of one of the most unusual labour disputes in British history.
But first, we had to find it.
Info said it was in the sea, but with some thought, we figured out the rough area of the mine. Driving over there, we saw a sign saying “mine” and a carpark! Happy days.
After an adventure with the wrong bramble thicket, by crossing a wet stream, a mud stream and a slippery log, we arrived at the mine entrance.
The information on the mine said it was easy to explore and you can climb over the gate. This is 100% untrue.
A lot of mud covering non-caving clothes later, we were in the mine, and I banged my head hard on a head height rotting iron girder. Swearwords occurred.
Always wear a helmet.
The mine is supposed to be extensive but the adit we explored went for ~500m+? with roof delamination in places but original wood sleepers in other bits.
Speeded up mineralisation of calcitey compounds and also a black/dark blue mineral that maybe could be ironstone. There was extensive mineralisation on the walls and floor. In places, white calcite or black ironstone stal dropped water to the floor.
After passing a collapse, we came across another collapse with a crawl leading to water we believed to have backed up behind this collapse like a dam. We turned back.
Retreating back past the gate was miserable and I whacked my head on the same unfortunately placed beam. There were more swearwords.
Always wear a helmet.
—
This Mine was operational from 1914-1918ish, and was mainly dug underground by German PoWs – the UK government breaking the Hague convention.
The local islanders who were surface workers went on strike in 1917 and PoWs were used as strike breakers. Questions were asked in parliament and it became a national scandal, rapidly resolved by the munitions minister, a Mr W. Churchill
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
