Snailbeach Mine

Maz, Scott, Tom

A 7:30 start and a Maccies breakfast at Chester found us halfway down the country in Snailbeach at the Shropshire Mines Trust to meet with the mine manager of the lead mine – not a ‘working’ mine in the sense of extracting minerals, but since they ran public tours on the upper levels, they were legally classed as a working mine. 

We met our wonderful guides for the day, Alan and Vicky, and after signing our lives away in the museum building we headed up to Perkins Level. Just inside the door we had to claim a clocking-in ‘token’ and hang it on a panel indicating we had begun our ‘shift’ (again for some sort of legal reasons). Through a couple of shored sections and onto a walkway over a drop, and Alan removed a section of the side-wall revealing a hidden ladder down into the void. Once down, the pitches began and we made our way down a series of never quite vertical drops, popping into an intermediate level, walls packed with pretty Barytes. Black oozings from between the crystals are apparently something like tar, and will catch fire if you hold a lighter to them!

Following a sort of corkscrew route down through the upper levels, we eventually popped onto the 40yd level. This was fitted with rails and led into some massive spaces, with yawning chasms that couldn’t be illuminated that were apparently stopes right down to the 112yd level below. We made a couple of detours, first to the Chapel Shaft which was used for winching people down for NAMHO, then a long crosscut heading for Black Toms Shaft. 

After snacks it was time to begin heading out, this time via the ‘scenic route’. This headed up then traversed high up in the massive stopes above the route we’d followed down, with a couple of airy manoeuvres and a spectacular atmosphere that was enjoyed by all. Maz popped out at the top declaring ‘that was some really nice SRT!’, a phrase I haven’t heard from him before. 

After a quick look at the ‘big room’ and the barytes stope in the touristy part of Perkins Level, we headed back to the museum, temporarily paralysed by a cute cat that melted our tough caving hearts. To top things off, Alan took us into the Day Level for a look down the illuminated 112 yard deep New Engine Shaft. 

Many thanks to Alan and Vicky for showing us round, and the SMT/SCMC for all the work they’ve done in there.