Our extended tours are back, and we now have two tours that take you into areas of the mine that the standard tours don’t reach. These tours are a bit more demanding that our standard tour so is only for the adventurous, and you can expect to get a bit dirty!
On extended tour days there will be two tours of 1.5 to 2 hours, at 10:30am and 1:30pm, with limited places. Our standard tours will also be available.
Bassey Mine Tour
New for 2022! Bassey Mine is one of the coal seams found in our mine. On this tour you will be guided down a steeply inclined timber supported return roadway, crawl along the cross cut before entering the Bassey Intake Dip for the climb back up to the bottom of 4s Drift. You will then retrace your steps a short distance but turn into the coal gallery, before re-joining in the route of the standard tour. The guides will be explaining mining methods, pointing out items of interest and no doubt telling the odd tale as you go.
The cost is £15 per person for the Bassey Mine Tour.
No 7 Drift Tour
No 7 drift (or “Sevens”) was the last drift to be opened at Apedale and was in production when the mine was closed in 1998. The drift was sealed and remained buried until 2009 when our mining team created a link to it from our existing mine. You will enter this low steep link, not far from the mine entrance. A short scramble down will bring you to the Sevens drift, you’ll follow this drift down to a level road way which will lead you onto the deepest accessible part of the mine, before a strenuous climb up the return and along the Bassey level. From there you’ll access the gallery, a low roadway with a steep entrance and exit, before again re-joining the standard route. Again the guides will be entertaining you on your tour with anecdotes and explanations.
This is the longer of the two routes and the cost is £20 per person.
Requirements
To take part in either of these tour you will need…
- Warm Clothing that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty.
- Stout waterproof footwear, e.g. boots or wellies.
- To be reasonably fit (there are some steep bits and some crawling!)
- To be aged 14 or over.
- To be comfortable in moderately confined spaces
- To not suffer from any condition that could incapacitate you during the tour.
Before taking part there will be an introductory video and you will be asked to sign a simple declaration for insurance purposes. The advertised tour route may change depending on conditions on the day.
Upcoming Tours and Booking
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