Cwmorthin - Page 10

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[Pic 21] Cwmorthin Quarry - Lake Mill Site (1988)

Taken from atop the Level 5 tip, this pic shows the Lake Mill site and it's surrounding features. Of the Lake Mill itself little is left, as can be seen by the rubble remains along the base of the grass embankment, middle of pic. This mill was totally demolished over 90 years ago. The Lake Adit (Floor 1 North) cutting is near the bottom middle and this passes through the site of the Old 5-1 (Level 5 down to Lake Level) incline overbridge (a lot of this incline is long buried) which can be seen better in Pic 23 below. Immediately behind the Mill there is a tramway route visible along the base of the grass embankment. This originates beyond the trees (which hide Cwmorthin House) at the Floor 2 (South) Adit seen in Pic 9, then drops gently downward to a shallow cutting at lake level. This is what may have been the original course of the exit tramway up to Level 2 (and on to the big Main Incline) which was superceded by using Conglogs Lake Incline - as mentioned earlier. Note also the Stable / Compressor house - the right most of 3 buildings upper centre - last seen in Pic 7, but now without the short section of tramway on its far side.

[Pic 22] Cwmorthin Quarry - North Sink (Back Vein) Incline (1988)

This is a view looking down the North Sink Incline from its summit at Level 5. This was a steam powered incline that penetrated deep into the bowels of Cwmorthin. Starting off as 3 tracks (only down to Level 4 where the 3rd track branched off into a tramway that ran past the old Barracks and onto the Level 4 - North - Adit) then becoming 2 tracks as it entered a slab roofed tunnel (one of the roofs supporting rails is clearly visible) as far down, originally, as level 1. It then became single track as it continued down into the Lower Workings. As can be seen this roof had collapsed and was buried - infact once the incline became redundant from Floors 1 up to 5 the shaft was walled up on Floor 1 and a new incline drum installed on this level. Note; Not easilly visible in this view are the remains of the Old 5-1 incline (the base of which is seen in Pic 21 above) which crossed here prior to the building of the North Sink Incline. Its drumhouse remains are just out of view top right.

[Pic 23] Cwmorthin Quarry - The Lake Adit - Floor 1 - North (1988)

The Lake Adit as it was in 1988 with a now strengthened entrance (compared to Pic 6) built up to hold back the ever sliding waste tip above. Note the abutments of the 5-1 Incline's over bridge.