Random Mine of the Day: Walkham United Tin Mine

[bunn]

This mine is a Devon one rather than a Cornish one, just for a change.  I stumbled on it this evening, walking along the banks of the River Walkham.

I don't have much historical detail on this mine, although I know that it may be known as Walkham Consols, or Walkham and Poldice Mine, or Poldice Mine,  or maybe Wheal Walkham (I'm not sure where the divisions lie, or if these are all names for the same mine).   The main adit is supposed to be blocked up, but I didn't venture into the mouth of this one sufficiently to find out if this IS the main adit, or one of the side ones that the intrepid mine exploring types use.   You can read one of their hair-raising writeups and see photos of the inside here.

What it looks like is a terrifying hole into the depths of the earth, from which eldrich Things might at any moment issue, very little obstructed by the two strands of barbed wire bravely standing between the daylight world and the Hellmouth.

As an antidote, here is a photo of sunshine on the River Walkham, taken just a little way down the river.

Comments

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I love the mouth of hell pictures! Wow! It does seems like a very flimsy barrier.

The river is beautiful too!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

It's a stunning river valley. Odd to think that maybe 150 years ago it was such a blasted industrial landscape and now it's all moss and ferns.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly nature reclaims blighted land. I grew up in a mined-out coal-mining area, which had in addition of a landscape covered with pit mines also had nearby areas of strip mining, which were unregulated (!!) recreation areas to me as a kid.

The transformation from the first image to the second is stunning.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Wow, that second photo is wonderful, I like the two happy kids about to dive in!

[timetiger.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the unspeakable and eldritch Things harbor an aesthetic objection to barbed wire. At intervals they gather themselves and attempt to emerge (This time, fellows!) only to fall back, all sensitive shudders and pale clammy scales.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

It is rather floppy wire, not even strung firmly on robust posts. You can see the that unspeakable things might fear that their clammy scales might get caught!

[anna-wing.livejournal.com]

It looks scarily small. I don't think I've ever actually seen a mine in person that wasn't open-cast and gigantic.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

It was a bit bigger than it looks in the photos - hard to catch the detail as the light was going but no more than a corridor. A lot of them are smaller and they are very deep : working in them must have been hellish.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I, for one, wouldn't want to venture in there. Too much chance of either being buried or meeting something it's better not to meet.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think the chances of being buried alive would be waaaaaay too high. I mean, that used to happen quite often even when the mines were open and working, i understand. After over 100 years of just sitting there they must be very iffy :-o

[r-blackcat.livejournal.com]

Beautiful pictures! If I ever have an unspeakable and eldritch Thing in my fic's worlds I'd certainly recommend it to settle there.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

In that case we'd better hope it can manage to get past the two strands of wire, or the poor thing will be standing outside under a tree... :-D

[r-blackcat.livejournal.com]

Actually I suspect the wire is necessary to protect the poor scared Unspeakable Thing hiding inside from noisy curious humans... :)

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I think this is the spookiest Mine of the Day yet! Beautiful.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

For some reason the photos came out much darker than they were on my camera screen. I suppose my eyes had adjusted more than I thought to the trees. Tricksy eyes...

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

I love the lovecraftian mine pictures!