Norwich City Council also advise that the public refrain from seeking out the mines. The tunnels were 10 feet high and 8-10 feet wide. They said: “The majority of chalk mines in Norwich are blocked up and the remainder are inaccessible as they are on private land. Smith and M.S. Rosary Road Chalk Mine. This mine was actually used as an air raid shelter during the war. I'm trying to find the location of some of the old chalk mikes in and around Norwich, mainly Harford Hills and Rosary Road. They built a whole line of bases from Bristol to Norwich with eight people in each and if there was an invasion they would go underground. This map also indicated another tunnel leading from the old football ground chalk pit to a second landing stage along the river. http://www.norwich.gov.uk/services/Pages/ChalkWorkings.aspx, http://www.heritagecity.org/research-centre/subterranean-norwich/geological-norwich.htm. 2. In the early 19th century the lime-kilns and chalk workings around this area were fully exploited but by the end of the century housing and industrial development had made access to the pits and tunnels difficult and they eventually were abandoned. The oldest mines are located closest to the centre of Norwich and more mines were dug further out as the city grew. Disclaimer: Mine exploring can be quite dangerous, but then again it can be alright, it all depends on the weather. Notable events. save hide report. J.W. The mine entrance is being kept sealed by Norwich City Council. Coal Authority is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy . Norwich City Councils website has some good information about Norwich’s mining history http://www.norwich.gov.uk/services/Pages/ChalkWorkings.aspx. 24 comments. This mine was actually used as an air raid shelter during the war. ... You could smell it coming out of the entrance but once you were inside there was none at all. It was located at the castle entrance, on the route leading thence to the market. The grid reference given for the location on the Defence of Britain website is more than one kilometre off the mark. The oldest mines are located closest to the centre of Norwich and more mines were dug further out as the city grew. This old tunnel entrance with its level at Riverside Road leading up the slope to the site of the Chalk Hill Works depicted on a map of the city of Norwich prepared by Mr. A.W. Norwich Chalk Mines. Norwich was mined for chalk and flint from the middle ages until the start of World War 2. The flints that can be seen embedded in layers in the chalk were used to build the city’s walls and some of Norwich’s finest buildings such as the Guildhall. I have more but most are rubbish but I’ll try and sort through them. Norwich was mined for chalk and flint from the middle ages until the start of World War 2. ︎ We explored the old Harford Hills chalk mines in Norwich. Chalk mine labyrinth was once a hive of industry. Mine entry shaft, South Oxhey, Hertfordshire. From the middle ages, through to the beginning of Second World War, Norwich was mined for chalk and flint and today many of the mines, believed to have been dug between the 12th and 18th centuries, still remain underneath the city. You can toggle your results between list view and map view. Posted by 1 month ago. There is some interesting information on the geology of Norwich here: http://www.heritagecity.org/research-centre/subterranean-norwich/geological-norwich.htm. The chalk was used for liming in agriculture and in building mortar. Earlham Road chalk mine: example of fracture propaga- tion in sidewall. The story of these mines is a long and, indeed, a highly visible one. Enter the Chalk Mines of Pinner. Post-medieval chalk mines comprising abandoned tunnels with an extant lime kiln on the site (NHER 9613). Norwich has been mined for chalk and flints since at least the 12th century for building and agricultural purposes. http://www.norwich.gov.uk/services/Pages/ChalkWorkings.aspx, http://www.heritagecity.org/research-centre/subterranean-norwich/geological-norwich.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hneVwuDdu-E. The Harford mine was the last to close. The mine entrance is being kept sealed by Norwich City Council. See more: All chalk mines in United Kingdom (TG) All chalk mines in United Kingdom. Morant, the City Surveyor in 1873. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hneVwuDdu-E. Its seems to have been a bit of a tourist attraction recently, though last I heard the entrance had been buried. 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