Belfry Bulletin Number 272

27

THE BELFRY BULLETIN ____________________________________ VOLUME 24

No.4

APRIL 1970 No. 272 ____________________________________ CONTENTS Caving Monthly Notes 33

Page 32

Club Business Notices Just a Sec At the Belfry.

Committee meeting

Page 34 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34

Historical Mendip Mining

Page 28

____________________________________ The Belfry Bulletin – Monthly Journal of the Bristol Exploration Club. Hon. Sec. A.R. THOMAS, Westhaven School, Uphill, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset Hon. Editor: - S.J. Collins, Homeleigh, Bishop Sutton, Bristol

EDITORIAL COUNCILS AND ALL THAT Reading a bit in last month’s “Monthly Notes” about caving politics gave me a sort of sick feeling in the stomach far worse than any Mendip cave has done; even under the nastiest circumstances, and I wondered how many readers of the B.B. felt the same way.

It seems a pity that caving clubs cannot be allowed to get on with the activity for which they were formed, without a great proliferation of bodies of one sort or another telling them what they are to do (presumably) what they are not allowed to do. I realise, of course, and I expect that most readers of the B.B. do as well, that some of the control we now have was bound to happen. The Waterworks, for example, were bound to have some minimal requirements for co-existence with the caving clubs and very few people would argue with the way in which the C.C.C. has managed to intrude as little as possible in their job of providing an interface between the clubs and the water board. In a similar manner, it is probably a good thing to have a method whereby all the local caving clubs can combine on occasions when some sort of joint action is required. The danger, however, would seem to lie in the possibility of this type of body attracting the type of individual whose hobby is not caving so much as organising other people – and this is a thing we would all do well to watch very carefully in the future.

In general, the club system has worked very well on Mendip. It is true that we all have our setbacks from time to time – but that’s life! If we get the wrong side of a local farmer (and it’s often our fault, as at times with digs arranged and then not worked on, for example) we have to wait a while for the storm to blow over. If some other club opens a new cave and then makes it a bit difficult for us to get in whenever we want to, we can’t grumble all that much. The place wouldn’t be there at all if they hadn’t dug it. These things all sort themselves out in time.

As in many fields of life today, we hear a lot about peoples rights and not so much about their obligations and responsibilities. We would do well to watch the progress of the ‘organisation boys’ and to resist any state of affairs arising whereby every caver has unlimited access to caves that are no longer worth a visit.

LETTERS An issue or two ago, we suggested some useful topics that budding authors might well provide us with articles about. Luckily, due to some of our old established writers, we are not too badly off for the near future (i.e. next month’s B.B.). One thing which would help the B.B. to be a two-way affair would be a number of lively letters from readers. A letter does not take long to write, and we are sure that there must be a number of topics applicable for inclusion in the B.B. on which club members hold views. Looking back over old numbers, quite a bit of correspondence went on. How about it? Have you got a pet theory which wants airing? Have a good think!

‘Alfie’

28

MENDIP

Large areas of gruffy ground containing old mineshafts are a feature of Mendip; and this article is intended to give a resume of the history and development of these landmarks, with which we are so familiar at the Belfry.

MINING

Lead mining on Mendip was almost certainly commenced by Early Iron Age people, perhaps two hundred years BC. Evidence of this was the discovery of lead net sinlers at Mere and at the later lake village at Glastonbury. This early form of smelting probably consisted of roasting lumps of galena (lead sulphide) in an open fire, and then allowing the molten lead to run over the stone fire base into rough clay moulds.

It took the Roman brain to organise the Mendip mines into a large concern, and these were under imperial control within a few years of the Claudian invasion of 43AD. Large pigs of lead have been found at Charterhouse; Wookey Hole; Bristol and other places, all bearing Roman inscriptions and clearly having been mined on Mendip. A pig of lead found near Green Ore bore the inscriptions EX.ARG.VERB. which could be translated as either ‘from the silver mines’ or ‘desilverised lead’. Whether the practice of extracting silver was a common or widespread one in Roman times is not yet known; much of the smelting having been carried out in villas and other small sites where few remains exist on which to base tests for desilverisation.

In a field south west of Fair Lady Well, the plough has turned up many fragments of Samian ware, and several lumps of a heavy, pink, crystalline material, together with a few weathered pieces of lead and galena.

X-ray diffraction has shown that this pink substance is crystalline litharge (lead monoxide).

Crystalline Litharge can only be found by the cooling of a litharge melt – its melting point is 879 degrees centigrade – and this temperature is considerably greater that is usually associated with galena. Further examination showed that silver was conspicuous by its complete absence and that the material contained no sulphite or sulphide. Thus, the material could have not been normal slag from the process of smelting galena. In any case, it would have been a very inefficient process to leave a third of the slag behind as lead.

This, plus a comparison of the silver content with normal galena found near the Belfry site, proved that the desilverisation was actually carried on at the site of the Roman villa behind the Belfry.

The method the Romans used for extracting the sliver is known as cupellation. It is mentioned by Pliny – a Roman historian. After roman times, the process is lost, and was rediscovered by Patterson in 1833.

The early method of desilverisation lead was to allow the molten metal which contained all the silver from the ore, to cool slowly. The first crystals to appear were pure lead and these were removed, usually with a perforated iron ladle. This process was repeated until about seven-eighths of the lead had been removed. The remaining alloy, rich in silver, was then melted on a flat ‘cupel’ or hearth, usually made of limestone clay or a barites/clay mixture, in a blast of air. As the temperature obtained was greater than 900 degrees centigrade, the litharge formed; flowed away, and took with it some of the calcium, manganese, aluminium and other metals present as impurities. On cooling, it crystallised into the pink crystalline litharge which was found near the Belfry site. The rest of the litharge was absorbed in the porous cupel, leaving a shining globule of metallic silver about 99.95% pure.

Just when this sophisticated process was introduced by the Romans on Mendip is not known. Caesar, in De Bello Gallico’ makes no comment of silver when referring to the economic value of Britain. Cicero, when writing to a friend, says, ‘it is well known that there is not a pennyweight of silver in the whole island’.

Nevertheless, according to Strabo, silver was one of the main exports of Britain by the time of Augustus, and we can be reasonably certain that some of this came from Mendip lead – refined on the spot, one of those spots being behind the Belfry.

Excavation carried out by the Rev. Skinner and indirectly by the Mendip Mining Company in the last century revealed Charterhouse as the hub of Roman mining activity. The Town Field and Raynes Batch Field contained a number of square and circular mounds around which were found pottery; coins; smelting refuse and the remains of furnaces. A small amphitheatre was also found, the remains of which are still conspicuous today.

29 A fairly large Romano-British community must have lived, mined and smelted in the area from AD49 to the end of the Roman occupation in AD410. Mines were probably open trenches following the ore veins.

The amphitheatre was used for sports like bear-baiting; cock-fighting and wrestling. The provision of food for this community must have been a problem but the excavation of a Romano-British farm in the Chew Valley by Ratz and Greenfield has given rise to a theory that this valley may have supplied the miners with farm produce.

Several postulates have been made about the route used by the Romans for transporting Mendip lead.

Certainly, there is a Roman road from Tyning’s Farm down to Cheddar which, unlike the usual Roman road, is not straight but was designed to drop off Mendip at an almost uniform gradient all the way. This would have been a very convenient arrangement for a road used for the transport of heavy loads. Hoare, who surveyed a Roman road from Old Sarum to Uphill, considered that the ingots travelled to the continent by boat from Uphill. An alternative, and more likely route, was the overland route to the south coast, and then by sea to Gaul, possible from Axmouth. Uphill may have been a point for shipments to South Wales and, since some pigs were found in Bristol, the port of Sea Mills (Portus Abone) may also have been used for lead cargoes.

No records exist of the Romans mining metals other than lead on Mendip, although iron furnaces were unearthed at Camerton and at Chew Park Farm. The intense mining operations of the Middle Ages must have obliterated many of the earlier traces.

Towards the end of the Roman occupation, mining activity on Mendip declined, and during the seven hundred years immediately following, there is no evidence of British or Saxon mining. Gough suggests that lead was still worked to some extent to provide roof for churches. However, very few remains of this period have been revealed. Possibly the Derbyshire Peak was a more important centre for the lead. It would be interesting to hear from anybody who knows of any Saxon or early English finds in the Mendip district.

Collinson, in his ‘History of Somerset’, quotes some Domesday Book records of the sizes and wealth of MANORS, which later became important mining centres, but these Norman records give no hint of any lead mining industry.

During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, mining and mineral rights charters were granted to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and to the Prior of Witham to enable them to work lead on Mendip. From this time onwards, numerous records of the lead industry are known.

The mining areas, during the period from 1300 to 1700, were governed by four ‘Lords Royal’. These were the Lords of Chewton; the Bishop of Bath and Wells; the Lord of Harptree and a fourth Lord, who was always the current owner of ‘HYDON’ or Charterhouse-on-Mendip. These lords were guided in their rulings by a code of ten laws. Two of the most interesting of these are quoted: When a workman hath landed oare he may carry it to cleansing and blowing to what mineries he do please for ye speedy making of same so that he do truly pay the tenth thereof to the Lord of the soyle.

If any man do pick and steal ye lead to ye value of 13½d, the Lord may arrest his lead with all his works and keepe them as a forfeit and shall take ye person and bring where his house, and his tools belonging to his occupation be and put him in his house and sett fire about him and banish him from that occupation for ever.

Lead mining reached maximum productivity during the period 1600 to 1670, but another branch of mining was established by then. Brass was first introduced to Britain by the Germans during Elizabeth’s reign, and in 1560 zinc was being mined on Worle Hill. The zinc mining industry soon became established in the dolomitic conglomerate of Western Mendip and in later years took precedence over lead mining.

Methods of raising and smelting ore are of interest. Shafts or ‘gruffs’ were dug everywhere and, although not usually vertical, they could attain a depth of one hundred and eighty feet. Single ropes and wooden ladders were used for descent and for the sides or bottom of the shafts, timbered ‘leers’ followed the ore

30 veins. Ventilation was sometimes obtained by running a subsidiary shaft into the main shaft some ten feet below the surface. This caused a flow of air through the working. People were often digging in such close proximity to each other that they broke into one another’s workings, causing complex legal arguments about ownerships.

On being raised, the ore was taken for one of the four mineries for cleaning (buddling) and smelting in a rotatable hearth furnace. These were turned to catch the wind form any quarter and bellows were used to increase the draught from the wind. After smelting, the miner had to give one tenth of his lead to the lord of the manor in which it was raised. This toll was known as ‘lead lot’.

The seventeenth century produced a lot of the old slag in the Belfry area. It was also the time during which most of the pits and hollows were made. The present forestry land north of Stock Hill was extensively worked for lead about 1690.

At the onset of the eighteenth century, the production of the Mendip mines was decreasing. The Lead Reeve’s book for Chewton Minery, during the period form 1700 to 1708 showed and average return of three tons of lead lot per year. This compares unfavourable with production in the period 1660 to 1666 which averaged fourteen and a half ton per year. Apart from this peak of prosperity and it became completely extinct in 1908.

The reasons for the start of this deterioration were mainly the competition from the superior quality peak lead of Derbyshire, and the exhaustion of ore veins near the surface on Mendip. Working the deeper lodes required drainage and hauling equipment which were both expensive items and the miners were not prepared to finance this equipment because they feared that Derbyshire and foreign lead industries would eventually overwhelm that of Mendip. The water drainage problem must have been serious, as some of the richest of the mines, at Rowpits to the north of Stock Hill, had to be abandoned because of flooding. This suggested that many of the eighteenth century pits must have been two or three hundred feet deep in spite of the poor equipment used. Some shafts well over a hundred feet deep and still open, show no signs of extensive flooding.

As the lead mines declined, so the calamine industry at Shipham, Rowberrow and East Harptree prospered and, in 1778, an agreement was made to apply the mineral code for lead to all other minerals – zinc, iron and manganese – mined on the hill.

Large quantities of zinc were sold to a Bristol brass company and Collinson, writing in 1793, described Shipham as having ‘up to one hundred mines working in the streets, the yards and some in the very houses.’

However, soon after this, even the calamine industry was to die out.

Through the eighteenth century, some lead was still being mined, but another crippling blow was struck when the import duty on foreign lead was reduced in 1825. The mining privileges and customs died with the enclosing of the land in the early nineteenth century, and the position of the Lead Reeves was abolished; first at Chewton and finally at Harptree in 1834. In connection with the enclosing of land at this time, it is of interest to correct a misconception which seems to be widespread, that the dry stone walls which are such a prominent feature of Mendip to-day are of great antiquity. In fact, two hundred years ago, hardly any of them existed.

At this time also, a Dr. Somers made a few attempts to find lead and ochre and was responsible for digging Dolbury Adit (now sealed). Also, a Mr. Webster attempted to drive a tunnel through Sandford Hill while somebody else put forward a plan to drive an adit from Compton Martin to Wookey in an attempt to drain the mines. This project was not even started. (What a pity! – Ed. If it had been carried out, we could have a through trip right through Mendip!).

With the mining industry virtually dead, Dr. Somers turned his attention to smelting the Roman and Medieval slags at Charterhouse. Some of these contained up to 25% lead, and from 1824 to 1848, Dr. Somers made the re-smelting pay. In the 1840’s, he also worked the slag at Priddy. After Dr. Somer’s death in 1848, a Cornishman, Nicholas Ennor, started smelting at Piddy. Ennor introduced mechanical buddling and reverbatory furnaces and was responsible for building the horizontal flues – the remains of which can still be seen. The main flue for collecting lead is eight hundred yards long. In 1863, Hodginsons of Wookey Hole Paper Mill brought a successful lawsuit against Ennor, restraining him from putting buddling water into

31 the swallets (Plantation and St. Cuthbert’s) and soon after this, the works were taken over and further mechanised by Horatio Hornblower. Hornblower used blast furnaces to smelt the slag, erected a number of buildings and built a railway from the old workings north of Stock Hill to St. Cuthbert’s. By smelting the old slags, he produced up to one hundred and thirty tons of lead in six months. Lead was then priced at about thirty shillings a ton. (Sorry, thirty POUNDS a ton – Ed.) At the same time, another Cornishman was operating a works at Charterhouse, where a Pattinson plant for silver recovery had been installed which often produced a thousand ounces of silver in a year.

In 1869, St. Cuthbert’s Lead works closed, through falls in the price of lead, but in 1879 work re-started and continued under various ownerships until 1902. A new firm, the New Chaffers Extended Mining Company, was then formed to produce metal and sand dressed ore for smelting in Bristol. Production of dressed ore increased to over nine hundred tons in 1906 but then declined, and the works finally closed in 1908. This was the last smelting activity to finish on Mendip, the Charterhouse and East Harptree works having closed in the 1870’s. The black slag now to be seen was re-smelted between 1980 and 1908 and now contains less than 1% of lead.

On three occasions since, lead smelting and mining almost came back to Mendip. Bert Russell used to tell how a company was formed in 1923 or 4 to re-open the smelting and mining activities at Priddy. It appears that they even got as far as holding a celebratory dinner in Wells to mark the re-birth of the industry.

Money was, however, not forthcoming, and the project never got started.

During the Second World War of 1939 to 1945, some interest was aroused in the subject of home produced lead from Mendip, and the subject was examined yet again. It was decided that, even at wartime, the idea would not have been sound, and the project was dropped.

Aroused by the success of German chemists who successfully re-smelted the tin slag from Kitty Wheal in Cornwall in the 1950’s, a suggestion was put forward by a London chemist to re-smelt the slag for the recovery of a number of elements on a branch-top scale using electricity. This might have paid on a one to one basis for a number of years. The chemist concerned subsequently took a job in Africa, and the scheme remained a paperwork project.

Thus, the activity from which Mendip is generally thought to have got its very name (mine Deep) and which inspired Blake to write the well know poem ‘Jerusalem’ is no more and is very unlikely indeed to ever be revived. Mendip mining is now part of history, and likely to remain so.

---------------------------------------Editor’s Note This article is mainly that as written by Mervyn Hannam, with parts of G.A. Faulkner’s articles on Desilverisation added where appropriate. Some further additions have been supplied by the editor. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roger Stenner would like to thank all those who helped in the collection of water samples in Cuthbert’s and G.B. Without this help, he would not have been able to have successfully completed his M.Sc. Degree. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Are you fed up by the continual appeals for money for the Hut Fund and for running the club? Before you answer, make sure you are in a position to grumble! IF YOU HAVE NOT YET PAID YOUR SUB FOR 1970, NO WONDER WE ARE STILL SHORT OF MONEY! Take the hint now!

32

JUST A SEC by Alan Thomas

Don’t forget the Grand Opening of the Belfry on May the Ninth! A landmark for future historians of the club. Would anybody have imagined a few years ago that the little old B.E.C. could have raised the wherewithal to build itself a place like the Belfry which now stands on our site? Money is still needed, but Bob is beginning to cheer up again. As these notes invariably seem to begin with an appeal, let’s ask for what you have got – anything you can get your hands on that might be of use to the Belfry.

Offer it to John Riley, your Hut Engineer or to Pete Franklin, your Hut Warden. Come and stay at the Belfry m- it just needs living in.

I had a letter from Clare Coase in Australia recently. Damion is like Don in looks and already has bigger feet!

It is with regret that we learn from the executors of Gerard Platten of his death. His work for caving generally and for the British Caver in particular is well known to all. He will be remembered by the older members of the club.

On Monday, May 11th, Mr Albert Goede will be talking to the U.B.S.S. at 8.15 in the Geography Lecture Theatre on the subject of ‘Caving in Tasmania’. Guests are welcome.

The Cambrian Cave Registry in its report to members of the Cambrian Caving Council asks for help and criticism. It asks all who cave in Wales to keep it informed of discoveries, however minor. The person to contact is Noel Christopher, Oriel Lodge, Gentle Street, Frome, Som. WHO HAS MY BELFRY KEY, PLEASE? I lent it to someone in the Hunters and it has not been returned. It has sentimental attachments, having been given to me by Mo. On this subject, I hope that everybody realises that the original Belfry key gives access to the new Belfry via the changing room.

The M.R.O. is seeking information about bad air in caves and would like reports form the caving fraternity. There is a proper report form that can be obtained from me. _______________________________________________________________________________________

MO N T H LY NOTES

A new edition of ‘Caves of Mendip’ is to be published during July and August this year. The price will be about 14/-. This edition is being completely re-written by Nick Barrington and Willie Stanton and will contain over four hundred entries! Copies can be obtained from Dave Irwin as soon as they are available. A small profit will be made for the hut fund.

No. 33…….by ‘Wig’

Since re-writing the description of Cuthbert’s for the new edition of ‘Caves of Mendip’, your scribe (acknowledgements to O.C.L.) had to do some quick addition to determine the length of the cave.

For those who collect records of such things, here are a few facts and figures to be going on with: Cuthbert’s I Cuthbert’s II

Surveyed length………………………….16,000 feet Remaining passage estimate………………3,000 feet Length…………………………..............…1,000 feet

TOTAL PASSAGE LENGTH………………………………….20,000 feet Depth of Cuthbert’s I = 405 ft.

Cuthbert’s II = 60 ft.

1. SWILDONS (23,000 ft.) 2. CUTHBERT’S (20,000 ft.)

4. AUGUST/LONGWOOD (5,000ft.)

Total depth 465 ft.

3. G.B. (7,000 ft.)

5. WOOKEY HOLE (4,000 ft.)

33 Spaeleologist – R.I.P. When the first Spaeleologist fits made its appearance, one thought that at long last, here was a magazine of all round interest to the caver. Unfortunately, irregular publishing dates, lack of topical information and the thought that it might never appear again made it a doomed publication from its early days. Changes of format and price increases did not help any, and cavers appeared to have had their backs to the publication – without whose help any such magazine must fade out. After five years, it has finally happened. The lack of caving editorial staff when faced with the more popular ‘Descent’ did little to help the cause of the Spaeleologist. It would appear that Descent has an assured future with virtually no competition in the national field. Another ‘National’ – The British Caver – is also in a doubtful position. Its founder and editor, Gerard Platten, whose death has been recorded in this B.B., makes one wonder if A.D.O. will carry on the good work. _______________________________________________________________________________________

AT THE BELFRY By

Yet Another Column 2 I can imagine the reader of the B.B. on seeing this title, thinking to himself ‘We don’t want the B.B. to consist of nothing but a series of columns’. It’s quite enough with Monthly Notes and Just a Sec. Why have yet another?

This column is being launched for a number of reasons. Our club now has a brand new headquarters, and it will not be fully used unless members are made aware of what is going on there. Not just the social side, but every event which will be scheduled to take place there. It is by club members becoming involved with events at their headquarters that any club prospers and stays a close knit group. Our club magazine is called the Belfry Bulletin, so it should keep members everywhere in touch with the Belfry. That will be the job of this column.

‘Verspertilium’

What’s in a name?

The use of pen names may have its drawbacks, but in my case, it is essential that I should have a name, as I am to be a composite character. Some of my news will have been contributed by the Hut Warden and others on the committee and other times will be picked up by other parts of myself. It was decided that I should be a bat – perhaps a cross between a long-eared bat (for picking up information) and a natterer’s bat (for chucking it out again). The traditional name of Bertie was ‘suggested’, but the editor thought that a bit of Latin would be more in keeping with an image not confined to the merely frivolous, so now to work…

Belfry Fitting Out. The job of fitting out is proceeding, although more helpers could be used. Norman’s kitchen unit is nearing completion and most of the painting of walls is now finished. Plumbing is coming along and temporary wiring has been installed. Most of the old bunk frames have been repaired and repainted, although not many yet have mattresses. Has any member got a suitable mattress he or she no longer wants?

A new slow combustion stove has been acquired and fitted. There is still, however, a lot to be done.

Opening Day It may be that this B.B. will not reach members before this event takes place. I shall be listening hard to members views as to what we should be doing now that we have this new building, and will keep readers informed on current events, progress and thought – ‘AT THE BELFRY’. _______________________________________________________________________________________

34

COMMITTEE MEETING

The April meeting of the Committee was, again, largely concerned with arrangements for the Belfry. The sale of the barn to the Shepton is going forward. This will help to some extent to balance the books. Insurance for the new Belfry is a matter which is still being settled. The Belfry is being covered for any major calamity, but there are a number of smaller points which have been gone into.

Progress on the ‘Stop the Clock’ was reported by Pete and it looks as this will bring in some useful funds.

The proper wiring is being arranged by ‘Prew’, and this will be started very soon. Material for the showers was another subject dealt with, and there are firm proposals of materials. Pete and John Riley are arranging for some from of roof insulation; so that the Belfry will keep reasonably warm next winter. The club has agreed to store M.R.O. tackle and a part of the stone hut will be used for this purpose. _____________________________________

It is not often than an Hon. Sec. of the B.E.C. gets married. Any future Hon. Sec. who contemplates ‘taking the plunge’ has had a precedent set him which he will find hard to equal yet alone beat. Priddy church was packed to capacity for Alan and Hillary’s wedding. A feature of the actual service was the playing of the tune of ‘We are the exploration club’ on the organ. After the bride and groom left the church under an archway of caving ladder (which was borrowed from the Shepton and then found to consist partly of B.E.C. ladder anyway!) they repaired, with the guests, to a sit down reception at the Wookey Hole Restaurant. A fine meal was provided, and you can tell that the organisers had been properly briefed on the requirements of a caving club! At one stage of the proceedings, two characters sang a poor man’s version of the ‘Wedding Song’ – a traditional folk song. One of the locals was heard to remark “I never heard Alfie sing a clean song before!” The couple left for Jersey after what must have been one of the best weddings to be seen on Mendip. _____________________________

SOCIAL NEWS

Stencils prepared 20th May, 1970.