• Home > Group Documentation > Journal > June 2006 > Mining Around Broadfield Down

by Alan Gray

Cavers involved - Alan Gray, Simon Fowler, Doug Harris, Mark Ireland, Jason Nichols and Chris Binding (Cheddar Caving Club). I have lived in the Bristol area for more than 30 years and have not head of Broadfield Down - more of this later.

The story starts with a an e-mail that I received from Barry Walters -

“I found your email address on the Mendip Cave Registry website. I don't if this would be interest, but whilst walking my dog up on top of Brockley Combe nr Bristol Airport, I came across a 2 foot diameter vertical hole in the rock beneath an old tree stump. The hole itself goes down into darkness, 20 foot plus and beyond that I do not know! Do you know of any caves already up there, or could this be a new one?”

The map Barry provided seemed a little vague and so quite a large area each side of the footpath was scoured looking for his site. In doing this four other mines were found before we eventually found Barry's mine.

Brockley Pit 1 (47236.66327)

A natural mined fissure, containing a 4cm wide vein of lead and calamine, choked at the bottom. Depth 5m. Entrance Width 3.2m, Length 4m. Brockley Pit 1 to Brockley Pit 2 16m at 313º bearing

Brockley Pit 2 (47230.66341)

A natural rift that has been mined that is choked at the bottom but it looks as if there could be a way on. There are signs of dry stone walling on one face of the shaft 2m down the shaft. Depth 8.3m, Shaft 3m in diameter.

Brockley Pit 3 (47101.66271)

This is the mine that Barry identified and his description of its location is as follows -

Where the track and the bridleway meet there is a walled enclosure that lies in ruins and overgrown with trees.  Go to the north west side of the ruins and about 20 paces away from the wall is the hole.  It lies with in a raised bit of earth that is sunken in the middle, next to a stump of a tree.

A blind mined shaft choked at the bottom with signs of burning on the shaft walls. There are stacked deads surrounding the first 3m of the shaft. Depth 6.6m, Shaft 1m diameter. Brockley Pit 3 to NNW corner of the Bowling Green (shown on the 1888 Ordnance Survey Map) 37º. Brockley pit 3 to Brockley Pit 4 - 64m at bearing 272º.

Brockley Pit 4 (47029.66246)

Mined rift with a bedstead in the bottom. There is a vein of ochre visible on both sides of the shaft and at the bottom there is a 1m long horizontal extension heading at 72º. The pit is 2m from the dry stone wall. Depth 4m. Entrance Width 1½m, Length 3m.

Brockley Pit 5 (47033.66374)

A choked mined rift. Depth 4m, Width 1m, Length 2m. Brockley Pit 5 to Brockley Pit 7 27.4m bearing 190º. The pit is 1m from a dry stone wall adjacent to a large faced stone block.

Next weekend we continued our investigations in the woods above Brockley Combe and Brockey Pits 5 to 10 were found. Chris descended Pits 6, 8, 9 and 10; Doug descended Pit 7. Alan did not descend any as he claimed that a bad cut on his hand would open up; however he did the paperwork.

Brockley Pit 7 (47035.66344)

27.42m from Brockley Pit 5. Depth 4.5m. Entrance 2m long, 0.5m wide. There is a length of steel hauling cable at the entrance to the shaft.

Brockley Pit 8 (47377.66180)

Covered with a fixed (possibly hinged) metal grill 0.5m square. Depth (using laser range finder) 7.6m. A ginged wall can be seen inside the grill and a shaft 1.5m square. Chris descended this and decided that as there was a horizontal passage over a drop it was not safe to continue by himself and also the passage required a proper survey - this will be done tomorrow. Brockley Pit 8 to 9 bearing 241º.

Brockley Pit 10 (47354.66182)

Depth 22m. 27.8m from Brockley Pit 8. A natural rift that has been mined. Entrance 0.75m diameter. There was one Lesser Horseshoe Bat 15m deep. The 6m deep entrance shaft leads to a very muddy slope for 9m from the bottom of which can be seen a shaft 05.m wide and 3m long with deads stacked at each end and looking very unstable. This shaft was not descended, its depth was measured by laser as 10m. Leaning against this shaft was a large wooden pole that the miners may have used to scale the shaft; it is now very rotten.

The lack of ginging around the top of the entrance, and much loose material makes for “hanging death” threatening anyone abseiling into this pit. Trees can be used to rig a Y-hang for SRT. This pit has a great deal of mud on the slope and beyond which makes for difficult return progress, especially for anyone attempting to ascend through the 0.3m wide part of the shaft.

Brockley Pit 8

This pit was descended by Doug, Mark and Chris and a sketch survey produced. The total length is 42m and depth 11m. The miners have opened up a natural rift that is heading at a bearing of 331º. There was graffiti on the walls “P. Wilkins, EGONS 12-3-67”. Chris has contacted the EGONS membership secretary to see if she can identify P. Wilkins. Pete Wilkinson replied - “Yes that must have been me as I remember spending several days exploring some of the old shafts in that area and I must (to my shame!) have left the graffiti that you found. Not much info I'm afraid we explored about 5 shafts varying from about 30 to 80 feet in depth. However the last one started to collapse as the last man came up the wire ladder it was very hairy as loose boulders were hitting the ladder on the way down, and scared the hell out of the lot of us so we abandoned any further exploration. In some of the shafts there was still some evidence of small quantities of Galena (lead ore) to be seen.”

Chris Binding emerging from Brockley Pit 8                                   Photograph - Alan Gray

The first 2m of the decent down the 9m deep shaft is past a ginged wall and just below the ginging is a mined continuation in the rift which extends for 3m. At the bottom of the shaft pick marks are visible on the wall and also four shot holes. Climbing up a slope leads to a mined drop with a chamber above. This continues to a crawl which becomes too tight. A Lesser Horseshoe Bat was seen in this crawl.

During one of our explorations in the Combe the Brockley Pit 11 and Brockley Combe Rift were discovered -

Brockley Pit 11 (47613.66417)

A 1m diameter ginged hole descends for 2m and then is blocked with leaf mould. A branch was pushed easily into the leaf mould for 2m so it is worth digging out.

Brockley Combe Rift (47593.66424)

A climb down from Brockley Pit 11 leads to a 4m high rock face that is penetrated by a natural rift. The walls show signs of phreatic scalloping; there is breccia fill in the walls, moon milk on the walls and iron nodules in the roof vein. Brockley Pit 11 to Brockley Combe Rift = 12m at a bearing of 260º. Length 8.7m Height 1.9m.

Explorations by the Somerset Mines Research Group (SMRG)

It is evident that the ACG are not the first to locate some of these mines as in SMRG “Rantings” No. 15 Summer 1985 Avon County Council asked this group if they could cap two shafts, which was completed in 1982. Two mines were capped : Brockley Pit 8 which SMRG named Falling Stones Shaft and Brockley Pit 9 which was named Tin Bones Shaft.

MINER'S DEPRESSIONS

Over the next few weeks the area on both sides of Brockley Combe and Cleeve Combe were scoured and in total 384 depressions created by the miners were located. These are plotted on the map below and the lines of the miners rakes were identified-

Mark Ireland asked me if I knew an area of Bristol called Broadfield, as it showed lead mines, and said that he had obtained the name from a map of Bristol dated 1769 by Donn. I copied the map from Bristol Reference Library and it showed two lead mines and also a statement “Troughs to wash the ores”.

The interesting point relating to these troughs is that in the 1860's the Cornish Miners came to Mendip and as well as mining for lead they reclaimed lead from old spoil heaps using Cornish round style Buddling Pits. Thus the Buddling Troughs in the Broadfield area predate the Cornish pits and could be quite unique to Mendip. The area of Broadfield is to the east and south of Bristol Airport. We visited Mr Roger Ashman at Goblin Combe Farm and asked permission to look in his fields for rakes. He gave permission and also told us of a pit 90 feet deep that he filled in several years ago.

We located 51 depressions created by the miners and also a well - it was thought that this shaft was a well as the sides were superbly ginged and also as the depth increased the diameter also increased. The top was covered with an iron grill and in the bottom were glass bottles on a mud floor. The farmer later confirmed that this was a well.

In the fields the remains of two lengths of stone walls could be seen - these may have been the remains of the Buddling Pits however I will need to research this more thoroughly - the first point of call will be Bristol Reference Library and the aerial photographs that they hold.

Jason and I then visited the Darlington Arms and met John Alvis, a local farmer who owns several fields on the eastern side of the A38, just to the south of the airfield. He told us of a depression that opened up overnight, 60 feet in diameter and 30 feet deep, which was filled over a period of time with large amounts of rubble. The fields were flattened several years ago but now they are covered in depressions. He gave us permission to walk his fields to identify more depressions. He also stated that Felton Common had depressions, and when the airport runway was extended and the road moved to the east the contractors who were building the road had difficulties in achieving a firm foundation for the road due to the deep shafts that they encountered.

I visited Felton Common a few weeks later and spent an hour wandering around being pleasantly perfumed with aviation fuel and the smell of burning rubber as the planes landed. I was not able to identify any signs of mining.

Bristol Airport Report

I found, on the Internet, a report - Environmental Impact Assessment of the Expansion of Bristol International Airport - Scoping Report dated September 2005. Page 36 -

Lead Extraction

To the south of the airport, south east of Cornerpool Farm, is an area of former lead extraction, manifested by small depressions surrounded by irregular earthworks, locally referred to as “Gruffy Ground”. Such remains of surface lead extraction are known in the Mendips from the Roman period onwards, although the industry reached its peak between AD1628 and 1659. It is most likely that the remains to the south of the airport date from this early post medieval period (V Russett, N Somerset Council, pers comm.). After this period the lead industry in the area declined rapidly, probably due to the exhaustion of ore in the lodes near the surface. In the area of this gruffy ground there are also three north west to south east aligned banks which divide the field. These appear to be contemporary to the remains of lead extraction.”

I visited Chris Richards at Weston-super-Mare Museum who kindly allowed me access to his records relating to the Broadfield Down area.

Letter from Chris Richards to Phil Lamb of Vosper Lodge (17 January 2001)

I had the pleasure of meeting you last Sunday at Redhill to tell you about the lead mining in the 1870's at Vosper Lodge.

In the Western Mercury for 23 September 1876 the news from Wrington includes the following tragedy -

“FATAL ACCIDENT. - On Wednesday, a little boy named Charles William Moulton - son of the manager of the Vosper Lodge Lead Mines, Redhill - met with an accident on the works which was speedily attended with fatal results. It appears that he was playing in the engine house, and is supposed to have caught hold of the drive strap of the crushing machine, by which he was drawn over the wheel between the cogs of the machinery. His perilous position was almost immediately seen by Albert Cole, the engineer, who at once stopped the engine and summoned the attendance of the child's father, but so entangled had the body and clothes of the little fellow become in the machinery that his clothes had to be cut away to extricate him. It was then found that he had sustained severe injuries to the head, besides which the shoulders were nearly torn form the body. The surgical aid of Messrs. Chadwick and Collins was at once procured but from the first they could give no hope of the unfortunate child's recovery, and in less than four hours after the accident he breathed his last. An inquest was held before Mr Craddock, coroner - and a jury who chose as their foreman, Mr. T. Hamlin - on Saturday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned.”

The Births, Marriages & Deaths column in the same newspaper gives -

“MOULTON. - September 12, at Redhill, Wrington, William Charles, youngest son of Mr. Samuel J. Moulton, aged 3 years and nine months.”

The Western Mercury for 23 December 1876 gives details of another accident at the same mine -

“ACCIDENT TO A MINER. - On Monday, Henry Childs, aged 36, a miner, residing with his parents in Wrington, and employed at a lead mine at Redhill, was drilling a hole at the bottom of the shaft, when some other miners at the top of the shaft accidentally let a bucket of lead fall down, a depth of 50 feet. The whole mass fell on Child's leg, inflicting a frightful gash, about a foot in length. He was removed to the Bristol General Hospital, and admitted as in in-patient.”

The 25” = 1 mile OS Map Sheet XI.II, surveyed in 1884 (published in 1885), shows two shafts near Vosper Lodge. One lies against the field boundary on the Bristol side of the farm behind Vosper Lodge and the other is near the eastern end of the field SE of the ruined farm buildings. They are each labelled as “Old Shaft” meaning that mining had ceased. The 6” = 1 Mile Geological Survey Map (surveyed 1939 and 1943-53) also shows these shafts, as well as a general area of lead working across the fields south of the Row of Ashes Lane/A38 intersection.

BRISTOL RECORDS OFFICE (AC/JS44(10))

Copy of the orders about digging the Lead Ore at Brockley 12 April 1717

Orders made set down and established the twelve day of April in the third
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George by the grace of God of Great
Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the faith etc. Anno Domino
1717. By the right Worshipful John Pigott of Brockley Esq in the County of Somerset for the better ordering regulating and settling all and every person and persons who shall hereafter adventure to dig search or mine for lead or lead ore within the Manor of Brockley in the said county of Somerset or in or upon any waste ground or common appertaining to the said Manor As Followeth.

Imprimis : Whereas the said John Pigott Esq is seized in his demesnes as of fee, of and in the Manor of Brockley aforesaid & of and in the Royalties and privileges thereunto belonging unto which said Manor doth belong and appertain a great quantity of heath or waste ground lying in a Common adjoining to Wringtons Hill & other commons which said lands & waste ground are and have ever been for the time whereof, and memory of man have not been to the contrary always free and exempted from the usual Rules & Customs of Mendip Forest and that no person whatsoever may search or dig for lead or lead ore without the especial licence and consent & agreement of the said John Pigott & his assigns first had & obtained.
It is therefore ordered and established from henceforth that no person whatsoever shall presume to search, dig or mine for lead ore within the Manor aforesaid or the waste grounds thereunto belonging without the especial licence of the said John Pigott Esq or his Officer or Officers first had & obtained in that behalf and such licence duly entered with the Lead Reeve in his Book with the names of every partner belonging to such Grooff or pitch as shall be hereby licensed to be wrought (in every of which licences) shall be especially contained that if any person or persons whatsoever shall presume to sell or carry or permit to be sold or carried away any lead or lead ore raised or to be raised in or upon the premises or any part thereof without sending first for the Lead Reeve to view and see the same duly weighed at the washing place and thereupon to deliver the tenth part of all and singular the lead & lead ore that shall be so raised in or upon any of the said premises to the said Lead Reeve to the use of the said John Pigott Esq. that then every person so offending to lose all his right, Interest and claim whatsoever he may or ought to have by virtue of his said licence or grant.

Item : That if any person shall leave open any pitch or hole by him made above the space of one month the same being not continued in work shall loose and forfeit to the Lords use all his right, interest, claim & demand which he hath thereunto and it shall be lawful for any other person to take a licence or grant thereof and the party so offending, to be liable to an account for not levelling the said pitch or hole.

Item : That they shall be allowed to every pitch or Gruff twelve yards of ground forward and twelve yards backward from the said Gruff, the same to be measured from the spindle according to the course of Mendip and also the benefit of eighteen foot of ground of earthside & the said Gruff with what Rakes or Courses he or they may lawfully take, within the limitation or compass of the said ground and the second pitch to be allowed twenty yards only with eighteen foot of earth side as aforesaid.

Item : That no person be granted above two Gruffs or pitches at one place and that no one presume to dig or make any pitch with special grant from the Chief Officer on pain to forfeit and lose all his parts that he shall have in any Gruff within the said Manor.

Item : It shall be lawful for the said John Pigott Esq. his assigns & known Officers at any time or times whensoever he or they shall please to enter into any Gruff or pitch the same to view and plumb or any part thereof at his or their wills or pleasures.

Item : That all workmen whatsoever that have now any work or works pitch or pitches upon the waste ground within the Manor aforesaid which have not duly accounted and paid their lot to the Lead Reeve according to the tenth part for the use of the Lord of the Manor aforesaid but hath endeavoured to defraud the Lord of his right therein or have otherwise paid the same to any person or persons whatsoever so that the Lord hath not received the same that then if such workmen cause not satisfaction to be made to the said Lords within ten days after notice given that they presume not to work any longer upon any part of the Manor aforesaid or the waste land thereunto belonging or continue working any Gruff or pitch therein as they shall answer the contrary at their perils.

Item : No man shall pitch any Gruff but pitch & work for it shall be lawful if any workman let his Gruff stand one month unwrought for the Chief Officer or Lead Reeve to grant the same Gruff to any other person and every partner that hath any part in any Gruff (but) if he doth not come in & pay with them his partners at every weeks end shall be Void of his part and if any Workmen shall defraud the value of six pence of the Lords due he shall not work upon the Lords Waste ground any more.

And Last of all that every person who shall hereafter have licence to pitch upon any of the Lords waste ground shall pay to the Chief Officer for every pitch and his grant twelve pence for the recording thereof in the Lead Reeves Book and for levelling the ground again by the said Lead Reeves. And if any difference shall at any time & hereafter arise amongst the Workmen concerning their gruffs or parts in or about their lead or lead ore as aforesaid the same difference shall be fully ended by six other workmen of the same Manor and the Chief Officer who shall be nominated by the partys grieved who shall not be concerned in the matter in pariance who shall end and determine the same without law and whosoever of the partys concerned shall refuse to abide and stand to the end and termination of the nominated persons so by them chosen shall immediately be disabled ever after to work any more upon the Lords waste ground to all intents and purposes and the same to be entered by the Chief Officer in the Lead Reeves Book for Record.

BROADFIED DOWN - CHRONOLOGY

Broadfied Down is an island of Carboniferous Limestone lying halfway between Mendip and Bristol, jutting out into the levels. It includes most of the parishes of Backwell, Brockley, Congresbury and Wrington.

Gruffy ground survives and a few mines are still open to cavers. Lead and calamine were mined (also iron in Congresbury and coal in Backwell).

The Down was probably the chief centre of Somerset calamine mining in the 17^th century, attention being turned here after the discoveries on Worle Hill in 1566.

Chris also provided me with a date of an incident in a lead mine at Backwell and from this I was able to find the article in Bristol Reference Library -

Felix Farley's Bristol Journal

Saturday 1 October 1808 (Page 3, Column 5)

A most Providential Escape. - Saturday last a girl of the name Sophia Weaver, about 6 or 7 years of age, who had gone into the fields at Downside, in the parish of Backwell, Somersetshire, to pick blackberries, was missed by her parents; a diligent search was made after her by several of the neighbours, till 12 o'clock at night without effect. In the course of their search, they found a deep pit covered over with brambles and long grass, from which many years since lead ore had been extracted, to the mouth of which they were lead by the barking of a dog belonging to the father of the child; the grass, it appeared, had recently been trampled upon, but he lateness of the evening deterred those who were in search of her from descending. In the morning however, they returned, and two men were let down with ropes, when to their great astonishment, the child was found in one of the lanes leading from the pit, standing upright and free from injury, except the little hurt she had received in being scratched with the brambles. The preservation of the child was still more remarkable also, in her having retired into the lane, as the men in their descent rolled down several large fragments of rock, which must otherwise have inevitably dashed her to pieces. She remained 14 hours in the pit. Its depth is upwards of 100 feet.

CONCLUSIONS

From the walking around the area, the location of open mine shafts to date a total of 435 mined depressions, and the historical information obtained it can be concluded that this was a significant lead mining area on the Mendips.

FUTURE WORK

Search for miners depressions in the Autumn and Winter when the vegetation has died down -

On the north of Brockley Combe

To the east of Cleeve Combe

To the south of Bristol Airport (Cornerspool Farm)

To the west of Bristol Airport

Flax Bourton

Try and locate the “Troughs to wash the Ore” annotated on Donn's map.