South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3: When these images were taken the buildings were still open but the vandals had started to leave their mark. When I visited again a few months later all the entrances had been blocked up and the site was securely fenced off. Although the site had been badly vandalised it still held a magic and atmosphere that was difficult to describe.
My main regret is that I did not have a chance to take more pictures and do a proper site survey. All the images on this page were taken in the now demolished Dry and Offices.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.1 – The dimly lit passageway leading to the mine offices, this is looking towards the double doors that opened onto the mine yard Shaft Bank Shelter.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.2 – The miners would have walked along here at the start of their shift, I believe that the last window on the left hand side of the corridor was the Detonator Storage Room.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.3 – Looking down the passage the other way towards the admin offices.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.4 – The smashed South Crofty Mine Robinson’s admin area, the blackboard in the background was a record of recovered ore tonnage for specific areas of the mine.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.5 – The Robinson’s Side Dry was constructed between 1960 and 1962 and was the primary changing room for the mine until the early 1990’s.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.6 – Although many of the lockers were battered the dry was still in a reasonable condition. If the site had been secured properly this building may have been saved.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.7 – Looking down the empty isle of lockers, the building inside was pitch black and very spooky. The only light I had was from the flashguns and a zippo lighter.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.8 – Lit only by natural light an image of the smashed and empty lockers in the Miner’s Dry.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.9 – Empty lockers waiting quietly for the miners to come back off shift, this is one of my favorites of the Robinson’s Side Dry.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.10 – This image is looking towards the shower area.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.11 – The drying area of the facility, this was where the underground clothes were hung to dry ready for the next shift.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.12 – One of the smaller locker and shower rooms off the main dry.
South Crofty Robinsons Shaft 3.13 – The Lamp Maintenance room in the Miner’s Dry, the old lamp charging rack was still in situ.
South Crofty Robinson’s Shaft 3.14 – A closer view of the lamp charging rack, some of the old lamp cells were scattered over the floor.
South Crofty Robinson’s Shaft 3.15 – The Robinson’s Side Blacksmith’s and Drill Sharpening Workshop. In the foreground of the image is a Climax Drill Sharpener, next to the bench the anvil, in the background one of the forges. This building dates from around 1910 and is part of the original complex.
South Crofty Robinson’s Shaft 3.16 – A second image of the Blacksmith’s workshop, the second forge can be seen on the right of the image. This was taken before the vandals had gained entry.