Great Orme Exploration Society exhibition at Llandudno Museum

[Debbie]

Hi All,

The Great Orme Exploration Society (GOES) has a temporary exhibition at Llandudno Museum.

The exhibition is on now until 31st May, 2012.

GOES was formed 26 years ago by a small group of enthusiastic local people who wanted to rediscover and explore the disused Victorian mine workings of Llandudno. The exhibition includes photographs of early and contemporary GOES members as they explore the mine workings of Ty Gwyn, Old Mine and New Mine. Photos show the hidden industrial archaeology underneath Llandudno and the Great Orme and the lengths GOES members have gone to in order to learn and understand more about the working life of the Victorian copper miner. Photos include miners clog prints, clay pipes from penmorfa - with tobacco still inside, miners tools, the remains of the pumping engine in Ty Gwyn Shaft, and some dramatic shots of the mine workings.   

A selection of GOES artefacts from prehistory and Victorian times are on display. These include a miners clog iron found in Ty Gwyn, child's signet ring found in the Ty Gwyn inclines, tramming wheel, bone scrapers used during bronze age copper mining.   

GOES support of research includes a display case about Badgers Cave, on the Great Orme. A PhD project returned some interesting finds by way of animal bones - badger skulls and sheep/goat jaw bones, and a charcoal date of 7135 + / - 55 years bp.

There is also a profile of GOES member Gareth Davies, and a superb selection of his collection of local history memorabilia. Gaz will be giving a talk about his collection at the museum.

We have a GOES memory wall where current and former GOES members can post a memorable photo of an underground journey, leaving a message as to why that photo is of special meaning. Over the length of the exhibition we hope that as many current and former GOES members will add their photos to the memory wall.

GOES would also like to invite you to leave a message for us either on the memory wall in the museum or online about a story you may know of the Victorian mines of Llandudno; we are always looking for new places to explore, and to learn more about Victorian mining in Llandudno. Maybe you have relevant photo to post here?

There will be some related events to the exhibition which we will post details about here, and elsewhere over the coming weeks.         

But most importantly we hope you will visit, and enjoy the exhibition.

GOES has a selection of local history evening walks over the summer months. We welcome guests and new members to join us.

Information about GOES activites can be found in Llandudno Museum or on our website www.goes.org.uk
   
Thanks,

Debbie - GOES member

[Debbie]

Objects found in the mines on display in the GOES Exhibition at Llandudno Museum

[Debbie]

Llandudno Museum opening times

[Debbie]

In Autumn 2011 there was a major collapse within the Ty Gwyn mine adit (that's the one near the pier entrance). One of the verticle shafts filled in with rubble by the Victorians, probably around the middle of the nineteenth century when the Ty Gwyn mine was being closed down, suddenly emptied its contents into the main Ty Gwyn adit. It revealed a 30ft, very wide, and now very empty, verticle shaft showing a layer of concrete at the top! GOES members can be seen here investigating the collapse. Read more in the Spring 2012 issue of the GOES Journal to find out what GOES had to do next to sort this lot out!       

[Debbie]

Not so long back GOES members had to walk through water up to this depth into the Pen Morfa adit (that's the one on the west shore). It's goes for about 1/3 mile into the Orme!

[Debbie]

But it's well worth the effort - really it is!! It's a real treat to see some of the Victorian miners tools, their personal effects and sometimes their rubbish still in place in the mines where the miners left them. We are about to begin a new underground cataloguing project of all the items that remain in the mines today. These items will be catalogued underground and continue to remain there.         

[Debbie]

Llandudno Museum will be open all day across the Extraveganza weekend except Sunday 6th May, when the Museum will be open for the afternoon only.

Llandudno Extraveganza weekend - Museum opening times are as follows: 

Friday 4th May: 10:30 am - 5:00pm
Saturday 5th May: 10:30 am - 5:00pm
Sunday 6th May: 2:15 pm - 5:00pm
Monday 7th May: 10:30 am - 5:00pm

Some GOES members will be in the Museum on Saturday 5th May and Sunday 6th May to talk with visitors about the GOES exhibition.

GOES will have their own display tent at the Extraveganza on Sat 5th May and Sunday 6th May. This will be at the Ty Gwyn entrance - that's the one near the pier gates. Of interest at the GOES tent this year are the findings from the recent survey of the Old Pier remains - not to be missed. More about this on the GOES extraveganza post on this forum. 
   

[Debbie]

The Ty Gwyn Shaft is in the Ty Gwyn mine workings. It is 50 ft in height above low water level, and 25 ft across with a lining of stone work. It used to house part of the pumping engine system that removed water from the continuously flooded lower mine workings. Very little remains today of the pumping engine system. Water in the shaft is tidal, but lags 2 hours behind the tide. Below the main Ty Gwyn tramming adit (horizontal tunnel) we can still access a single lower level,  but when the tide comes in, the water rises rapidly, so a quick exit is necessary!

The main Ty Gwyn mine workings extend out underneath the sea, they are now continuously flooded. The number of lower levels in the Ty Gwyn is still unknown.       

[Cambrian]

A big thanks to Debbie for all this interesting info she contributes.

[Blodyn]

I agree, Cambian, it's fascinating.  Many thanks, Debbie.   

[Merddin Emrys]

Yes, very interesting! 

[Karen and Derek]

Yes, thanks Debbie. I had no idea there was so much under Llandudno.

Karen.