Well that’s probably the truth, no romantic ideas of an ancient Kings gold store or tunnels under the Thames (you would drown digging them). Probably not so ancient either, maybe from the late medieval times, although archive records of the working or ownership of the mines is almost non-existent.
The photograph this week was taken in the 1890s and records a visit of the Essex Field Club an example of the Victorian scientific based interest group of the time interested in diverse themes from archaeology to natural history.
If you look carefully you can see the winding drum, rope and wooden seat for the next person to go down the 30 metre drop! Health and safety appear limited and I expect they did not have to do a risk assessment and have public liability insurance!
It would be fantastic if a project could be started to record and maybe excavate some of the 100 plus mines in this area and really find out who and when they were painstakingly worked, perhaps another tourist attraction for Thurrock?
Due to bats inhabiting the underground works there is only limited access once a year to observe the underground labyrinth.
Also some of you who walk the woods will have seen near the footpath the concrete and stainless steel top of the 2nd World War, Home Guard, Spigot Mortar gun position, protecting what we now call the ‘Daneholes roundabout.’
Again perhaps a feature could be made of this, if the Council grass cutters will stop banging into it!
No comments:
Post a Comment