Cults Limestone Mine, Fife - May 2009

[BenCooper]

Back with Rosie for a better look at this place - first impressions were right, it's absolutely enormous inside, and it's a maze too. There have also been quite a few recent rockfalls - we spent the whole time talking in whispers and keeping an eye on the ceiling.







It looked horribly as if all that was holding the roof up was wooden wedges:




Cart tracks and hoofprints:


More, as usual, in my Flickr set...

 

[escortmad79]

What's going on with the above ground site now?

 

[BenCooper]

The limekilns have some warning signs on them but are abandoned - the bit further along looks like it's still in use...

 

[oldscrote]

If the wooden wedges had the same purpose in fife as they had in the bath freestone mines they were an early warning system for roof movement .If one fell out it was probably a good idea to walk nonchalantly but very quickly away.

 

[foz101]

The Lime and Brickworks along the way are disused still, but the farmer/landowner uses some of the sheds as a yard I think. If it's locked, leave it alone.

The mine network down there is pretty extensive I believe, although I've yet to see the map....

 

[crickleymal]

Very nice pictures.

 

[spacepunk]

The brickworks are in total meltdown now, the place is coming apart.
Nice pics in the mines, I only went in about 50 yards, so well done on your explore.

 

[Pincheck]

The place is not a place to be messed with and a rabbit warren that you can be easily turned round in . Lower parts are marked bad air down one shaft, vertical supports have long since rotten away in one of the big chamber. Another way has had a roof collapse while the others are flooded and watch out as there is a lot of sticky clay thats easy to get sucked into.

As for the upper parts as foz said mostly abandoned if you find some where Locked then leave it alone.

 

[BenCooper]

Yup, it's certainly not a place to go wandering about in without preparation...

 

[BigLoada]

Thats a lovely mine and your underground photos are excellent. I love the limonite staining on the limestone too, it really adds to the colours down there. Nice job mate!