The Leeds Mine Flood Disaster of 1988 - What Happened?

[@dougk2385]

Very interesting film. I worked at St Aidan's in the summer of 1987 and knew some of the senior people well enough to follow what happened when the mine flooded. The mining company were able to get 2 submersible pumps into the mine which allowed them to stay ahead of the floodwaters sufficiently to get all the mining equipment out of harms way. They had two draglines, Oddball, named because it used a US frequency power supply rather than a UK supply, and the W2000 which was much bigger. Both were walking draglines, and they were able to walk themselves out of the mine. The Department of Transport give permission for the huge earthmoving trucks to be driven on the regular highways to a place of safety / storage. They hired Chinook helicopters to try and seal the breach by dumping boulders into it, which wasn't very successful. The River Aire flowed backwards from the Humber estuary for three days before the mine was filled up and then it was as you described, with repair works and some final mining ops followed by the restoration of the site to what it is today. Interesting to see one of the lakes is called Bowers Lake. One of the site engineers was called Mike Bowers, and I suspect it may have been named after him. The other dragline (the W2000) was renamed 'Big Bob' after one of the directors when he retired. The bucket on that dragline was big enough to fit 8 Land Rovers in it.

[@AdventureMe]

Sounds amazing. Thanks for the info.

[@pauljamesarmitage5237]

Maybe you knew my dad then?? He worked there for years, he was one of the guys that got one of the 2 brand new d9Rs in 1997 or 1998, I still to this day have the maintenance and operation manual for that machine. He worked for fairclough Parkinson mining for years 15 years then miller mining for about 6 years on a d9 then about 6 years on an o&kRH120 face shovel then finished at crouch mining on a 120.

[@tomgirldouble3249]

How interesting too🤗💚

[@ianh3475]

I am a volunteer on the Warden team at St Aiden's RSPB ( 9 years now!), this set of vlogs are brilliant. It has increased my knowledge of the site. Thank you (albeit a bit late ☺.

[@mickparkinson9655]

Cracking video,i worked in the weighbridge before the high wall collasped,used to load barges with the coal after it was blended sent to the power station...happy days, i believe only lost a 4" pump in the bottom of the mine.

[@AdventureMe]

HaHa, they probably found it washed up somewhere.

[@richcampoverde]

Just found your vids via martin zero new subscriber mate really enjoying seeing a Yorkshire martin 🤣

[@AdventureMe]

Welcome aboard! Yes it was a great day, someone had to drag him from his cave over here eventually. Just curious as to why you are called "River Churnet", is that the river near Alton in Staffs?

[@grahamwarwick3012]

Great video. Very informative. Been past the old lock many times at St Aidens and not even realised. Certainly didn't know about all the history. Kept me entertained for hours searching for more info. Been back recently and had a proper look with new eyes. Thank you and thanks to all the the people with more info in the comments.

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks mate. Glad you went out and explored.

[@jeanbirch3683]

Great video. I worked for British Coal Opencast Executive for 21 years as a Resident Engineer. When the bank of the river Aire collapsed, we all had to cover 48 hours to do our best to make sure that the situation did not become any worse. I worked on the night shift on the Saturday night from 9.00 pm to 2.00am. The river Aire had become a raging torrent and flowed in from both sides of the breach. The Calder river water ceased to go over the weir at Castleford and flowed up stream to the breach. The river Aire was rapidity eroding toward the fence line between the river and canal. After digging a trench in the bed of the river Aire we prevented the canal bank from being eroded. The canal in fact remained intact. It took quite a few years to get the act of parliament to actually divert the canal and river into the new navigation channel. The unforeseen problem was that the old miners had left a solid pillar of coal under the river and canal whilst working the coal seams on either side. This cause a tension in the surface as the land had gentle subsided on both flanks. A small fault that had not been picked up in the exploration drilling then moved as the excavation approached it. It cause a slip of a weak Clay mylonite band which rotated horizontally splitting the sheet piled wall that was constructed to protected the mine. The failure was so deep, it was irreparable. Th e restoration work including building the marina, the new deep lock [that replace 2 locks] and the new stretch of canal cost £50 million pounds. However this was paid for by excavating the coal under the old river bed and certain sections of the old abandon canal. Hope this is useful. Bill Birch. p.s if you are looking for another project why not do it on the hidden Legacy of the British Coal Opencast Executive.? Anglers Country park, Pugneys country Park, St. Aidans bird sanctuary, the public extension land to Temple Newsam house and Rother Valley country park just to name a few.

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks Jean. And thanks for the update.

[@stevem1208]

Peter Kitson was the driver of Odd Ball. He sadly passed away a while before the breach. He always predicted that it would happen and in hindsite was correct.

[@UKDroneAdventures]

Great video and interesting story. I’ve been to the RSPB area and St Aidens and never knew about the flood.

[@bigted18]

Brilliant, just down the road from my house.

[@glennparfitt8068]

Really enjoy your videos - being a southerner these areas are relatively all Unknown to me, but watching your videos makes me wish I was closer - in fact spent a few days at saltaire recently and watched your video on that to make the visit more interesting.

[@chrisoverton8098]

Brilliant video. Had spent the morning at St Aden’s and wondered how it got like it was. Your video totally explained how thank you. I also love how you explain things totally natural

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks Chris. I try my best. Glad it worked.

[@NeilFLiversidge]

It didn't flood overnight. (Not a criticism - brilliant video - thank you!) KZbin won't let me post a link to the dragline site, but it says: The flooding of the St Aidans open cast coal mining site on Saturday 19 March 1988 Short stretches of the River Aire had been diverted prior to digging for the six million tons of coal. The decision had been taken by the NCB back in 1981 that it was safe to dig up to 50m from the river. The bank had been protected along both the new stretches and the stretches of undiverted river with sheet steel piles 10m long driven down to the bedrock. By March 1988 the excavation which was 58m (about 170 feet) deep had approached to about 130m from the river. At a routine inspection at 6:10 am on 19 March 1988 it was realised that something was wrong. There had been a landslip in the wall of the excavation and water was entering the site at the top of one of the coal seams down in the excavation. This developed so that by 11:00 am water was flowing in bulk under the piling. By 1:00 pm the steel piling had given way and the river was flowing into and flooding the pit from both directions (ie from upstream and downstream) and by the evening of Monday 21st March the site was flooded up to river level and the River Aire then resumed its normal flow down to the Calder. The decision was taken quickly to evacuate the site; one of the two walking draglines was up at surface level under repair and the other had time to walk right out of the excavation. There were no injuries. Two and a half million tons of coal remained to be won at the time of the flooding. The flooded workings contained 17 million cubic metres (17 billion litres) or 4,000,000,000 gallons. Afterwards, an inquiry established that the rock had slipped due either to a geological disturbance or earth fractures caused by subsidence due to earlier deep mining in the area. It was 1997 before remedial works and pumping out were completed and 1998 before coal extraction recommenced.

[@neoscylax]

Im learning so much about the history of my adopted home and cycle route from you!! Absolutely amazing history. Thanks again! 👍🏻

[@AdventureMe]

Glad to hear Greg. Thanks mate

[@raymarshall8336]

Cracking Vid. i Remember they used to take a lot of the coal away by rail, from Bowers Row (what is now the Kensington Palace estate) opposite the prefabs, near the car park for St Aidans. When i used to cycle around that area, i remember seeing some rails set into concrete, just behind the new estate.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes, I think they are still there. Thanks.

[@jasinere35]

trust me they are still in place to this day they are just as the concrete road starts to straighten out after the right curve & as your heading towards the river

[@tomgirldouble3249]

Never knew about this, but glad no one was hurt & how wonderful that it became such a beautiful nature reserve, very interesting many thanks 😀

[@a11csc]

i subbed a few episodes ago now really enjoying with most of this being on my doorstep. a few months ago i was talking to a guy that worked there at the time and the mining company paid him for a year to sail on the flooded site, nice work if you can get it

[@AdventureMe]

yes that would have been fun.

[@antmerritt]

Wow! Always wondered about the huge amount of modern engineering along that section! Really glad I found your channel . Such a good explanation of what a navigation is as well. Loved the lost village one as well. 👍👍👍👊😎

[@AdventureMe]

Awesome, thank you!

[@pauljamesarmitage5237]

My dad worked there when it happened for miller mining driving a bulldozer. He had been on that site for a few years and he used to sneak me to work with him on a Saturday when I was a young kid and let me have a go on some odd the machines when everyone had gone as he Used to make an excuse to stay behind and lock up when everyone else had gone. I remember him coming home and telling me the bank had burst. He also told me tales about when most of the water had been pumped out, there was some ponds left where holes had been dug out and he had to get rid of them with his bulldozer and as he was pushing into the ponds he said there was huge fish splashing around in the shallow water. He got as many buckets as he could and saved many and put some in the river and he kept 2 baby tench. One miraculously survives today in our garden pond, last time it was seen was 18 months ago and it was jet black and fat.

[@nickisuthers5946]

We've walked those paths so many times and didn't know a lot of this. The kids always love seeing Oddball at the entrance to St. Aidens, and have been fascinated going inside it on open days, which is where we found out about the mine flooding. Didn't know where the breach was or that the old lock was still there though so we will definitely hunt it out next time we're there. Thanks for the video.

[@AdventureMe]

Brilliant. Happy exploring.

[@tracybeckett4107]

This is fascinating. I live near Cas and never knew this oasis of nature existed. I must visit.

[@AdventureMe]

You should, it's so beautiful.

[@ianhorsfall8487]

Great video, really informative.. You actually missed the old lock in the reserve, if you were to turn left at the point you went down the causeway you'll come across the old lock before it was rerouted.. Looking forwards to your next video..

[@AdventureMe]

Ian, did you mean the old Lemonroyd Lock or another one? If it's the old Lemonroyd, It's coming up in a future video. I filmed it the same day, just wanted to split it up into another subject.

[@ianhorsfall8487]

I'm not 100% sure of its name, only its location.. If its in the same direction I mention then that must be the one & I look forward to your next video. I only came across it by chance as its quite significantly over grown these days..

[@AdventureMe]

@@ianhorsfall8487 Sounds like the same one. Let me know when the video comes out.

[@GENERALWA5TE]

Great video 👍🏻

[@petemyring1309]

Nice one.i Walk and cycle this route often and although aware of the history, I often wondered where the breach was and the earlier route of the Navigation and Eyre. I will be checking g it out with a renewed interest.

[@AdventureMe]

Keep an Eye out for my Lemonroyd Lock video, a bit more info in there.

[@jimmarshall807]

They actually joined the river and canal together when they rebuilt the area. There's quite a drop in the canal at Lemonroyd Lock which takes it to the same level as the Aire and the two flow together in a Y shape half a mile (if that) south of the canal lock and the weir you crossed. I've cycled through the area a number of times, and while it's a shame for local jobs that the mine closed it's remarkable that something as functional as an open cast mine has been turned into a beautiful nature reserve.

[@peterthornton2396]

Fantastic video thank you. I’m heading down now to look at the areas I’ve walked over so many times without knowing this info.

[@bigmonkey999888]

Hi really interesting and informative can't beat local history! Steve

[@billybritvic5500]

Another great video, keep up the good work and stay safe.

[@AdventureMe]

You too mate, keep well. Can't wait to get out vlogging again.

[@vernonfrogbottle1614]

Another excellent informative vid. Me and some mates crossed the lock to look at the breech and the damage the day after it happened, we were kept at a safe distance by the then lock keeper I think a Mr Clarkson.....I think. By the way another potential investigation could be methley hall and it's associated buildings and housing some of which are still in the woods along methley lane. Thanks

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks for the information, i'll have a look into Methley Hall.

[@AdventureMe]

Just noticed, I already had Methley Hall on my list. But didn't realise how big it was.

[@harrietmcneilis8796]

I'm a regular at Lemonroyd Marina, never knew about the flood in 1988 though. I love your Videos. Have you done anything around Chippys Quarry i believe it was an old brick works. I used to swim there as a child. Its not far from Barwick road if i remember correctly. These walks make such a change from the usual Yorkshire Dales etc which i do love but all these places are literally on my doorstep and something different so thank you.

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks. No, not heard of Chippys before. I'll take a look later.

[@NOWThatsRichy]

Hi Darren, this was interesting, it just popped up in my recommends, can't remember hearing about the river breach, although probably didn't get in the news down here, at the time. That was a major civil engineering project to put it all back right again! looks a nice pleasant area to visit now, love the walking on water bit at the end too! Your audio was a bit weird on here, but you've obviously got that sorted now! Richie.

[@Bob-nu3xe]

I live very close to the reserve, I walk and cycle many hours round the area I have seen deer so you never know what your going to see!, I remember the flood but thanks for the info now I know where to look, old maps show the old mine shafts and railways all across the reserve great video many thanks

[@liquidsunshine158]

Really interesting video, its become a family favourite for us to go walking since covid struck. Even did my first video there yesterday never knew it had such fascinating history.

[@tanner2stryker2]

Just the river flooded in the river was running backwards towards leeds on that morning I was there watching that day

[@harrykim9619]

My brother visited the mine on a school trip a few days before the collapse. He said, even then, the mine wall was wet through and a fair amount of water was gushing out of the cracks.

[@derrenlambert2279]

Come to Shropshire Darren, there is still old tracks that used to supply old foundries and furnaces, one of the furnaces is just down the road from me, there is also an old train station situated on the Silkin Way, some great history still around here..I'll show you about..

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

There's also a new canal opened, or rather re-opened through ashton and stalybridge in tameside. It was filled in in the 1950's if I remember right, and it was dug out again and refilled with water some years ago complete with new locks and at one point it runs a bit lower than the river tame alongside it which is raised at that point by a weir. So that could be an interesting place to visit. And I've been there a few times.

[@jogon7950]

Thanks, v helpful, I remember it happening but didn’t know the details

[@AdventureMe]

You're welcome!

[@simonguilfoyle1009]

My local rides .. lived around the area for 50yr still remember the blasting siren

[@AdventureMe]

Sounds fun. Thanks.

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

Brilliant thanks for this, used to go to at aidens as a kid with my mum and sister swimming...!!

[@AdventureMe]

No problem

[@robertberry5003]

Fascinating video Darren 👍

[@paulspickernell6875]

Really interesting stuff, thanks

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thank you for the tour. Glad I ran into your channel recently. Cheers mate.

[@AdventureMe]

Glad to keep you entertained. You really are on a marathon viewing.

[@markaylingacoustic]

Really interesting, cheers. I'm looking forward to when you walk the old Bradford Canal, would you also be able to walk the Halifax Arm from Salterhebble in to Halifax? I think part of it is a cycle path now, but it would still be interesting to see if there are any disused parts left as well as any hidden remains.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes, it's on my list. There are a couple of lock remains on there apparently.

[@markaylingacoustic]

@@AdventureMe Cool, I'll look out for it

[@bethsmithson8351]

So Lovely there and pleased it's on my doorstep. You should look into Towton and Lead Church.

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks Beth, I'll check them out.

[@alanlauder1476]

You should write a book, love your videos!

[@AdventureMe]

Haha, my grammar isn't amazing. I can talk much better. Thanks

[@oddsandwindsocks5905]

Top vlog Darren, watching the footage it shows that the banks that breached had the steel walls also.

[@TheWacoKid1963]

2:10 walking dragline "Ace of Spades" it used to be up the road from me at Stobswood, Morpeth, Northumberland, It's now in America.

[@ashbolight]

The bucket is still there

[@HooverLux]

Would be great if you did this for the mumbles railway in Swansea, I have a book on it and it’s fascinating and you can still see the old branch line to an old quarry and so much evidence left of it thanks. Dorian.

[@AdventureMe]

I'll check it out!

[@yorkiegeoff1825]

Very informative video thanks for posting 👍

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks mate

[@foxyladythewitch]

Great video..will have to go and visit it next time I am at mum's. Has she lives behind at aidens

[@buildingbuddy1]

Excellent presentation and good stories. You got this :)

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks Guy

[@peterthornton2396]

I commented on another video asking if you are interested in st Aidens turns out you are haha. Looking forward to this

[@robbilton8091]

Hi great vid. Here’s a suggestion can you do the so called Nagga lines in Stanley. It was a tramway that ran down to Stanley ferry there are some old iron rails across the road near Ma B,s cafe on Limepit Lane.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes that's on my list to do. I've researched it already.

[@clecklass]

There is a disused canal cut at Cromwell Bottom nature reserve near Brighouse. They used to run pleasure craft trips on it. They have an open day once a year where guides can explain all about it.

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

I remember this been in the news. It would be interesting to see decent photos of the river empty in different places such as leeds.

[@AdventureMe]

Yeah it would, nothing much around that I could find.

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

A"navigation" is basically a modified river. Sometimes it involves a separate channel alongside the river but sometimes the river itself is used and made straighter and dredged out to make it navigable and every so often the river has to drop so at those points there is usually a weir with a boom fitted across the top to stop boats from falling over it and there's bypass channel dug alongside the weir with locks like the ones on a canal. There's a river like that in the huddersfield and mirfield area and also there's the weaver navigation in cheshire which becomes quite complex at runcorn where it meets the manchester ship canal which is also a modified river for the upper stretches but it separates from the river further downstream because it's too shallow for ships at that point and far too wide to dredge out economically which is near warrington and runcorn.

[@simonjohnson2325]

Intresting ! I know the area. The weir on the river that you showed is a type called a Crump weir, used to measure the flowrate by forming a relationship between upstream water level and flowrate, while also allowing sediment to pass through instead of filling up behind the structure. Perhaps you can see a level monitoring shaft.

[@leec80]

Another interesting video, I thought you would've shown the remains of the Original Lemonroyd Lock when you walked past it though.

[@AdventureMe]

I did. But in another video. I was doing them separately. There's a method in my madness.

[@anthonyledger2768]

Good to see - I knew the area when Primrose Hill colliery was still operational and Bowers Row was the disposal point. The steam engine, then the diesel took the loaded coal wagons up to the level crossing on Leeds Road, Swillington, by the King Edward VII Working Mens Club to be taken off by British Rail. I guess where the causeway is now may have been the staithes from Primrose Hill Colliery after crossing Astley Lane (before it was diverted for the open cast).

[@NeilFLiversidge]

I walked up to within 100 yards of the breach on the day after it happened before the site security nicked me and drove me offsite in their Land Rover, but not before I took some photographs. The sight of the water pouring through the breach looked like the Mohne Dam after 617 Squdron had visited it.

[@bobingram6912]

Tad ironic that it's now full of water again!!!

[@AdventureMe]

Yes it is. You wouldn't think they would empty it to continue mining and then fill it again.

[@Geoffreytomlinson24]

Just caught up on this adventure, great stuff. Coal was King Midas in the day.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes it was!

[@gavlosmedia6323]

Cracking video. How about a mooch round the old Howley Hall site? Some great civil war history on the hill above the golf club

[@AdventureMe]

I'll look into it. Thanks

[@kmkwilliams9654]

@@AdventureMe some of the panels from HH rooms ended up in Wakefield Museum, others in Thorpe Hall at Thorpe on the Hill. HH was excess to needs, so once emptied it was deliberately blown up

[@andrewcampbell7702]

Brilliant video

[@sbatty65227]

Grew up in Woodlesford and remember this day well.

[@electrikm38]

Very informative and looks like a very nice place.

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks for watching

[@christelbraune4530]

Thanks Darren 👍

[@simapark]

How long was the river dry ? I assume eventually the water up river would start filling up the dry river bed and start flowing downstream again ? Was it a few hours a few days or a few weeks ?

[@AdventureMe]

I would imagine a few days. Or possibly less. Until the basin filled up at St Aidan's. Then it would continue to flow.

[@mscustomlures]

They also rerouted the river at Skelton near the old power station. If you find an old map the river ran the perimeter of where Skelton lake now is in a big horse shoe.

[@AdventureMe]

Oh yes. I show that section in my "lost village of Leeds" video.

[@Digg3r]

I remember them doing the nature reserve as a kid as I grew up in oulton nextdoor to woodlesdord. Didn't know about the flood though. Those lakes must be over 100ft deep then. That's scary deep 😲

[@AdventureMe]

Yeah they are very deep.

[@suesmith4366]

Fantastic 😎

[@majorpygge-phartt2643]

Is this the same mine flood disaster that was shown on "abandoned engineering" some time ago? It looks like it, apparently it happened because the mine was dug too close to the water up above and it broke through. And there's an old dragline machine there similar to bagger 258 in germany.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes thats the one.

[@bielsaball2332]

Hi great video this is my village next time you’re in the area let me know Woodlesford is full of stories including a grave with a murder mystery on it

[@AdventureMe]

I'm always in this area, I live round here lol. I would love to hear more about the grave.

[@bielsaball2332]

@@AdventureMe the murder was of Edwin Lambert nobody was convicted but their was a suspect who as the story goes tried to confess on his death bed only to be smothered by his mother to prevent him. The grave has the story on and is at the church in Oulton

[@bielsaball2332]

The story is longer than this obviously but wouldn’t want to give too much away

[@socklesslad]

The Aire must have lost a lot of water when it breached. It'd be interesting to see pictures of it upstream and downstream to see just what happened to the water level.

[@AdventureMe]

From eyewitness reports it emptied in both directions.

[@deandawson7957]

You can actually walk through the navigation at st Aiden’s with the stone walls at each side. It a bit over grown. Did you find it or miss it

[@AdventureMe]

I think you might be referring to Lemonroyd Lock a bit further back. It's in one of my other videos.

[@deandawson7957]

@@AdventureMe yes buddy. Keep up the good work. I love your videos 👍🏼👍🏼

[@tam19711]

Very enjoyable content

[@AdventureMe]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@explorewithme525]

Could be worth you having a look at Milner fields stately home at bingley

[@AdventureMe]

Hi Allen, That's also on my list for this year. Titus Salt's house. Thanks.

[@CORTINAMK3]

Very interesting and informative. Love finding out about the history of Rothwell and surrounding areas. I'm originally from beeston, any plans on researching what we used to call the "donkey track"?, the old train,or tram lines near Tommy Wass?

[@AdventureMe]

Already done them. Look for the Hunslet goods railway on my channel.

[@CORTINAMK3]

@AdventureMe will do. Didn't realise you were the guy that worked with us a couple of years ago for a week.

[@AdventureMe]

Where at?

[@AdventureMe]

Oh yeah. That's me. I had to collect the drill you left from the primary school haha.

[@AdventureMe]

I remember you. Ian knew I had a KZbin channel.

[@MrFacproductions]

Awesome been a cas lad. Always inrested in the five towns history. Any history on Fryston hall. ??

[@AdventureMe]

Thanks mate. I'll be covering that one day. Plenty of Cas stuff on my channel.

[@Chipchipsaway]

I walk my dog around this area. There is evidence of what is probably the old canal bed between the current course of the Aire & Calder navigation and the St Aidens site....it's visible from the river path walking from the footbridge back towards the 'new' lemonroyd lock

[@AdventureMe]

Yeah I've seen that. Fascinating

[@jacquelinemunro380]

My 85 year old dad remembers going to drop plant equipment on the day it floored and has pictures of this

[@AdventureMe]

Would love to see them one day.

[@chrisrobertshaw]

Never heard of this place and it’s on my door step definitely going to pay a visit

[@AdventureMe]

You should. In summer it is outstanding.

[@Franty564]

I live in houses looking onto the reserve

[@AdventureMe]

Lucky you. Bet that's a nice view.

[@andyhipkiss8165]

Do a video on the Black Country West Midlands

[@c0d3w4rri0r]

I’d like to know more about what happened to the mineshafts in the collapse. I’m very interested in abandoned mines in Yorkshire they’re so many of them and we really have no idea what happens to them after they’re just left by human beings and left to nature

[@c0d3w4rri0r]

I wonder if there are any abandoned mines in Yorkshire that are still accessible enough that you could for example lower a GoPro on a cable into them

[@AdventureMe]

Oh there's plenty. I will find them one day

[@paulberen]

@@AdventureMe There's one near Todmorden that was still working, recently, privately, coal, and the entrances and remains of work still visible. A map of the tunnels of this mine has been seen; i'ts now all flooded up close to the 2 entrances, next to each other, at this location. On old maps of Yorkshire there are Coal Mines / Pits, here there and everywhere, though little history known of with sink holes appearing, as in Wales and in Cornwall, examples.. a missing house in a terrace in Camborne collapsed into a mine chasm underneath it; and open mine-shafts had to be blocked up because farmers cows would fall into them (Clwydd Cap system that was used in Wales was adopted after Fire Brigade, Search and Cow Rescue Service complained about this). Safer access to mining tunnels would be on the sides of hills, or close to streams or rivers - the Adits - that are the level tunnels draining water from underground mine working - Some have streams coming out, and one known about where the Miners had wooden nails in their boots, because metal would be melted by the high Sulphiric Acid content of the water. There is a mining town in a granite area where the town streets drain access covers lead into mine-workings, used for the town rainwater drainage system, and where the Plutonium / Uranium etc Geiger Counter would be off the scale.. Cave and Mine Exploration Safety google would be done if exploring.

[@simapark]

I would think the river could only run dry on either side of the breach to the nearest weir upriver and the nearest weir downriver. Thats the idea of weirs ie if it didn't rain for months the rivers wouldn't run dry they would form a series of lakes from weir to weir with no water flowing over the weirs.

[@AdventureMe]

I think all the weirs are downhill towards the site, and the Castleford side has very few if any, it's so flat towards the east. There's pictures of it bone dry in Leeds and other places online. I don't think it affected the Castleford side as much.

[@jasinere35]

did you know that all the opencast machinery is still at the bottom of the pit

[@AdventureMe]

Yes. They saved one of them that's still there.

[@jasinere35]

@@AdventureMe the dragline & a couple of the wagons are behind a fence that was left close to the top of the opencast the rest was left in place when it got flooded & if the area's been filled in it means everything has been covered over with spoil

[@jasinere35]

oh & if you follow the road round to the dragline you walkover the sidings of the original mine that use to be there

[@johnrhodes2367]

I worked there after it reopened.

[@paulberen]

Sorry, excellent content, but the definition of a Navigation a bit confused, like the Leeds Navigation itself, that uses parts of the River Aire, combined with it... So just for a clarity: There are just three 'Navigations' that are ship canals, in the UK; Manchester, Exeter and Leeds; and they were built as Ship Canals, and not part of the narrow-boat style transport Canals. The 3 Navigations, or Ship Canals, were built just for ships to get to cities, though as for Manchester, the Canal system is connected. But the Navigations themselves are just the 3 wider ship canals that get from the sea to the three cities involved.. The Aire and Calder Navigation, Ship Canal, from it's sea connection at Goole, is a ship canal up to Knottingley, all seperate from the Aire River, but at Knottingley the two are the same, the River is also the Navigation, up to the location seen on the vid, next to the flood breach location. The two then stay seperate again up to Leeds city centre, at Fearns Island and Leeds Dock. This is as far as the Navigation goes to, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, that continues following the River Aire, is part of the Canal system, not the Navigation. Up-River from Knottingley, at Castleford, the River Calder joining in there, and up to Wakefield is used as a Navigation, and also called Aire and Calder Navigation, just to confuse everyone; and turns into The Calder and Hebble Canal, though, at Wakefield, and both closely follow the River Calder, to Calderdale, and both also borrowing bits of the River.. At the point where the River and Navigation join up, next to the 1988 breach location, would have been scary if not apocalyptic to watch the combined water emptying into the Quarry.

[@paulberen]

Good point re what flooded into the quarry. Just the River Aire, because there's a Lock at the junction of the two, Navigation and Aire River, so the Navigation water level not affected and held by the Lock.

[@cwmbc]

Great video but shame about the sound quality on the outdoor stuff. Sounds like it keeps cross phasing.

[@AdventureMe]

Yes it does. This was a very early video of mine. All sorted and upgraded since then.

[@NeilFLiversidge]

I walked down to where the breach was, the day after it happened, and took some pictures. The breach looked like the pictures of the Moehne Dam after the Dambusters raid! A big digger was ineffectually dumping tons of muck into the breach, but the power of the water rushing through was too much and it was a complete waste of effort. Eventually, the security guys nabbed me and drove me off-site in their Land Rover.

[@AdventureMe]

I'd have done the same had I been around here.

[@thatlad2003]

Have you still got the photos? Would be fab to see them :)

[@BettySwollocks13]

Over there, down there, across there, just there... with lots of pointing is hard to follow. Try using a map to make your point. But enjoying your vlogs.

[@AdventureMe]

If you watch my later vlogs, I do! This was one of my very first videos.

[@Spedupguy69]

yeah its an amazing walk, park on the road its free,yes there is a gift shop and cafe its ab it exspensive but what isnt these days🤔🤔

[@simontay4851]

Did the mining company pay towards the rerouting of the river/canal. I hope so. The breach was their fault.

[@AdventureMe]

I think they did, but i don't know the figures.

[@stevecottrell3026]

@@AdventureMe It was Miller Mining who worked the opencast mine under contract to the National Coal Board. I worked for Millers for ten years. The NCB designed the mine and specified the limits of the pit. The NCB failed to identify the fault that gave way and caused the collapse, letting the river in. Miller warned the NCB several days before the collapse that there was problem with the exposed fault that looked as though it ran under the river, but the NCB did not act straight away. Miller had removed most of their equipment before it collapsed and were able to walk the draglines up and out as the flood lapped at their tracks! No machinery was lost. The NCB accepted full responsibility for the flood, paid Miller out and went back to the drawing board to redesign a scheme to make good the damage and finish the mining and then restore the land to what is today. Miller were then re-employed in 1998 to finish the job. The water in the new lake was used by Yorkshire Water and mostly drunk and flushed by the people of Leeds. The Calder backflowed up the Aire for three days until the hole was full. Cheers, Steve

[@antmerritt]

Steve Cottrell thanks that’s great detail. 👍 it would have been crazy to watch the river drain for three days!! 🤣😁👊😎

[@tanner2stryker2]

Karma for destroying the old willow garth lake to mine for coal my play ground as kids

[@nuneatontim]

You can take a boat down a weir, it's just hard to get it back up again

[@AdventureMe]

Would love that

[@martingilligan]

Sorry but you keep saying the canal breached but it wasn't the canal that breached. It was the River Aire that breached the mine.

[@AdventureMe]

I know. Its a struggle to get everything right sometimes when you have a camera in your face and a head full of information you are trying to blurt out.

[@martingilligan]

@@AdventureMe of course the Aire and Calder itself has actually breached this weekend at East/West Cowick. We used to moor at both Lemonroyd marina and Pollington and know the area well. I too have visited the site of the old lock a few years ago.

[@anthonyledger2768]

Correction - Edward VII WMC level crossing is on the Leeds Road in Kippax, not Swillington. This was where BR and NCB (Hargreaves) interchanged empty and full coal. The Swillington end of the site had the Primrose Hill Colliery.

[@AdventureMe]

I think I covered that in my garforth to Castleford railway videos.

[@jamesdawson3780]

The Story of NCB greed . Anybody throw some figures as to the cost of their negligence?

[@AdventureMe]

I think it cost them around 25 million to repair in the end.

[@r44heliflyer]

Good to see all this explained. More map info... www.flickr.com/photos/r44flyer/30327144056/in/dateposted-public/

[@AdventureMe]

Cheers for that.

[@edwardcox2144]

Woodlesford or swillington is not a suburb they are individual villages

[@AdventureMe]

It is classed as a suburban village. Any named area within a city boundary is a suburb of a city. That's how it works for councils, postal and maps. It might be an actual village or large area with its own town centre, like Rothwell or Pudsey. But they are still classed as suburbs of a city as they are ruled from the district centre which is Leeds.

[@edwardcox2144]

They are in the metropolitan district, not the suburbs of a city. ITS NOT CROSSED GATES

[@AdventureMe]

@@edwardcox2144 If you look at the city council boundary map or even Google them. They come up as a suburban village. I don't like to nit pick every word I say in a video, wether right or wrong. It's just not needed at a KZbin level. Even TV will get things incorrect. Id rather people see it for what it is, a fun bit of history and entertainment.

[@edwardcox2144]

"Swillington is a village and civil parish near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough."

[@AdventureMe]

@@edwardcox2144 But what about Woodlesford? So we're both half right then lol

[@christelbraune4530]

😪😪😪