Announcement Date: September 14, 2013
SURFACE WALK WITH BITS OF EASY UNDERGROUND – This was a joint meet with the Geological Society of London (Yorkshire Branch)
On a lovely warm sunny morning we met on the roadside where the Appletreewick & Gillheads tramway crosses. After inspecting the tram rails that are still embedded in the tarmac, we walked to the engine beds overlooking Gill Heads mine. From here a very steeply angled incline descended to the valley floor.
The geologists spent time discussing the different Limestone beds (they all look the same to me). From here we walked over Gill Heads vein and across Middle Hill to Hopewell Level at the foot of Nebcastle Rake. The “miners” got there only to find the “geologists” examining a fossil strewn boulder a few hundred yards behind. After everyone had caught up we looked at the blocked Hopewell Level before walking around to Sun Level, driven by our founder, Mike Dickinson who worked for the Clay Cross Co in 1966. I last went down here in the 1980s and the timberwork was ropey then; it is now totally collapsed. Following North Vein and the
Nebcastle Rake, we climbed to the top of the hill.
