This is what I’m writing about at the moment:
Image borrowed from http://www.sub-urban.com – a site that fills me with great but slightly appalled joy.
I’ve always enjoyed the idea of secret places underground, though I find them a bit scary too. I did some caving when I was a gel, and quite liked splashing around in the mud, but there’s something very romantic to me about man made caverns. I’m not thinking about ‘romantic’ in a Romance sense – no hearts and flowers and angsty protestations of undying adoration – but a passion of a different kind. A passion that organised and provided and planned and ensured that every single brick in that picture was delivered on time to men who knew what they were doing and who were concerned to do a good job. This bricks were laid in 1855 and are showing their age but are still watertight. To Sir John Bazalgette and his workforce, well done, guys.
Well, when I say “I’m writing” I mean that theoretically. I type a few words, sneer at them and do something else for a bit. Like write blog posts. The point is that the story got bogged down with minutiae in the soggy middle – the way they do – and my inner editor is shrieking about re-writing the bits that have got off message before I get any further off the point, but my commonsense reminds me that if I do that I’ll probably never finish the damned thing.
Sod it. Let’s have some more photos.
This is Eglwys Faen. I can see the above ground bits from my kitchen window. Not man made at all, it is part of a huge network of limestone caverns that extend around to the north of the Silurian coal fields. Very scary, very wet. Sadly not everyone who goes in has managed to get back out!
Here’s the entrance to Agen Allwedd
Very heavily locked and this is why:
Image from Dudley caving club. No idea who the bloke is but he looks happy about it.
It’s a deeply scary place.
Ha! deeply – dija see what I did there?
*sigh* back to the sewer.
Elin Gregory 
I’m far too much of a coward to ever go potholing or anthing, but I certainly share your love of exploring such places in fiction (and visiting the safe easy ones ;)) That’s wonderful you live near such inspiring spots 🙂 🙂 🙂
I used to belong to the Royal Observer Corps, back in the Cold War, and I had many cold and slightly drunken nights down in the observation posts. Underground can be good fun, but not things like cave diving. You have to be out of your tree to do that.
Heh, I should think so. I like nice walks near cliffs and caves and the odd guided tour of underground wonders… as long as there’s a coffee shop and cake provided too. Really adventurous, me 😉 Wow! Being the Royal Observer Corps sounds quite an experience 🙂 🙂 🙂
Oooooh, on a vaguely related point, I saw a carriage in a rail museum down this way lately, that was used during WW2 to store the contents of the National Gallery in a Welsh Cave. How cool is that? Can’t remember exactly where all the art was hidden, though it might’ve been Snowdonia way 🙂
Yes I think so. 🙂 Up near Betws-y-Coed in the slate mines. Though I think there were several sites.
The Beeb made a brilliant comedy film a few years back about the storage facility being reused and the affect on the local community. Trevor Eve was in it. The workings in the mountains are enormous.
Ooooooh, thought you might know about it 🙂 I did think it was good story inspiration, so not surprised it’s already been picked up on. Those caves must be amazing!!! 🙂
I like thinking I’m a caver, and I’ve certainly visited my share as I explored the U.S., but they scare me a little too. When the guide turns off all the lights, the little kid inside me shrieks in fear. For just those few seconds, I’m terrified I’ll be lost in darkness forever.
*shudder* yes, that’s horrible. I’ve been down into the Roman iron mines about 25 miles from here and they go WAY down into the dark. It’s astonishing to think that they hacked those holes out just with little oil lamps.
awesome photos I love caving too but my clausterphobia doenst allow much of it lol
It’s absolutely not a place for people with space issues. Also the mud and the wet! There’s that horrible moment as the water spills into your bra. Ewww
I’ve done all the Castleton tourist-attraction caverns at least once each, but not for years. I really ought to revisit them sometime.