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Moel Fferna Slate Mine | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

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Moel Fferna Slate Mine

Albino-jay

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One from back In Jan 

As the weekend approached, as did another explore for myself @eoa and @monk. Seems we are a good trio of bell ends and something usually goes wrong somewhere down the line and Moel Fferna wasn’t going to let us (or shall I say me) down.

Anyway, Myself and @EOA started the day with our customary maccies breakfast (minus the spiced cookie latte this time) we then met @Monk nearer to the mine. We’d heard the walk was a bit of a pig upto the mine so we opted to utilise the jeep which took us as close as we could manage, but still a bit of a walk away. Ah well it saved our legs A LOT. The weather was, well, yeah…. you can see from the pictures!

So after a bit of a trek through the snow we found the air shaft and @EOA worked his ropey magic and rigged up 2 lines for us noobz (me and @Monk) to covert absolute pro umbex urbseil down the shaft to have amooch around the mine!

Top day, the mine is bloody huge, unfortunately we didn’t find the bridge of death as we only had wellies and it was a tad too deep for us to carry on that way. So a return trip isin order.

As I said earlier, Moel Fferna wasn’t to let me down. As I was trying to ascend out of the chamber I put all of my weight on my right leg pushed up and POP my knee let go. I managed to get myself out and hobble back to the car. Turns out I have partially tore a ligament off my bone and damaged my meniscus. YAY. 

All in all another fucking epic mooch with two top blokes in some mint weather conditions playing with ropes, beers, mines and cameras.

AWESOME

Update. So I have been to the fracture clinic I'm awaiting a scan but the consultant is very confident i have torn my cartilage and will need keyhole surgery. Great :(

History

Early workings tended to be in surface pits, but as the work progressed downwards, it became necessary to work underground. This was often accompanied by the driving of one or more adits to gain direct access to a Level. In some rare instances, such as here (Moel Fferna), there is no trace of surface workings and the workings were entiely underground.

Moel Frerna has chambers which follow the slate vein, connected via a series of horizontal Floors (or 'Levels'). The chambers vary in size and are divided by 'pillars' or walls which support the roof. The floors are connected by 'Inclines' which used wedge-shaped trolleys to move trucks between levels.

At Moel Fferna a team could produce up to 35 tons of finished slate a week. In 1877 they received about 7 shillings a ton for this. After paying wages for the manager, clerks and 'trammers' the company could make a clear profit of twice this amount. This system was not finally abolished until after the Second World War.



Pics

Here we are at the top of the airshaft whilst @EOA rigs it up. (don’t we look like pros?)​

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@monk abseiling in. we did have an electron ladder there too but its bloody awkward so it was easier to just abseil in past it.​

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@EOA urbseiling in​

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The first few sections of the mine are very damp and a pain to photograph due to the amount f moisture in the air.​

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This was the flooded section. It was just above wellies but we couldn’t be arsed getting wet feet. @EOA did though because he is a balloon.​

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@Monk snapping away​

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It’s hard to gauge the size of these chambers even with myself in the shot you don’t get a true feel for the sheer scale of them​

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Pikied carriages​

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RIP ladder​

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Some of the Graff​

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33ri3 wheelbarrow pushed around by the headless mine man. On the 12th hour of everyday you can hear the squeak of the pikied wheel.​

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There was plenty of cool little walkways between the chambers. A winch still in situ up at the top too.​

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The most photogenic rusty old pump in existence.​

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Last but not least another groupshot underneath the cog support.​

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Oh and if anyone is interested a quick video chucked together.​

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dc_8V5x3KDo" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>​




 
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hamtagger

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That opening line made me laugh.. :4_joy:

Seems we are a good trio of bell ends


Nice account of the place mate, top pics (y)  

I tried to re-embed your video but it's been disabled mate..

Screen Shot 2018-02-11 at 21.48.14.png

:comp  

 
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Albino-jay

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That opening line made me laugh.. :4_joy:

Nice account of the place mate, top pics (y)  

I tried to re-embed your video but it's been disabled mate..

View attachment 1029

:comp  




haha its the truth! 

aww shite, its because i had the 12" version of Bronski Beat, Smalltown boy as the music hahaha bullshit copyright. I guess I will have to re do it with some royalty free crap. 

 

The Urban Collective

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Quality I went down one opened to the public years ago via a cable car but this is the ultimate endeavor rappeling down into the cavern, quality that.

And quality pics too.

 
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