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Tunnel Re-Opening
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Timeline of Operations at Pwll-Du / Blaenavon
| Summer 1985 | PWLL DU | Tyla branch entered with knee-deep water to crawl at roof collapse. Crawl passed on RH wall to second area of run-in underneath badly bowed roof. Waist deep water negotiated to final absolute roof collapse | CG, SH |
| 1/12/85 | PWLL DU | Tyla branch traversed to final collapse looking for bats | SH |
| 21/5/88 | PWLL DU | Pottery located at Garnddyrys and visit to Tyla entrance | CG, RM, AG |
| 29/5/88 | PWLL DU | Examination of Tyla Entrance | CG, RM, DR, SMT |
| 17/6/88 | BLAENAVON | Entrance found. | CG |
| 17/6/88 | PWLL DU | Garnddyrys branch entrance portal location determined | CG |
| 1988 - 1989 | BLAENAVON | Opening made into roof and exploration + dig carried out | CG,
CC, CB + others |
| 14/5/89 | PWLL DU | Excavation to locate Garnddyrys branch entrance commenced | CG, TP |
| 21/7/89 | PWLL DU | Shaft down to Garnddyrys branch entrance covered with timbers from Big Pit | CG, BD,JK |
| 1989 July-Aug | PWLL DU | Shaft filled and Tyla tunnel entrance sealed | COAL AUTHORITY |
| 13/8/92 | PWLL DU BLAENAVON | Need for tunnel protection highlighted to Nick Leach | CG |
| 30/12/94 | PWLL DU BLAENAVON | Entrances and approaches scheduled as monuments | CADW |
| 7/11/98 | PWLL DU BLAENAVON | Entrances photography | CG,
AB + others |
| 5/4/99 | BLAENAVON | 1st site visit to meet John Evans + Chris Barber | CG, DMJ |
| 7/4/99 | BRETBY | Obtaining Coal Authority plans | CG, PRD |
| 7/5/99 | BLAENAVON PWLL DU | 2nd site visit to discuss prospects | CG, DMJ, PRD, JH, JL |
| 6/6/99 | PWLL DU | Surveying from Tyla entrance to field sinkhole and meeting Trevor Fishlock on his Wildtracks walk | CG, JC, KW, AF |
| 11/6/99 | PWLL
DU BLAENAVON |
3rd site visit to meet Walters Group representative: Huw Richards | TREG |
| 17/7/99 | PWLL DU | Entry into Garnddyrys branch via digger-excavated shaft in field | TREG |
| 2/10/99 - 3/10/99 | PWLL DU | Pumping at Garnddyrys branch fails due to bad weather and small capacity of pump. Water sample taken for testing | TREG |
| 24/3/00 | PWLL DU | Tyla branch re-opened and traversed to final collapse - same condition as previously observed by SH and CG + Locked access gate installed | TREG |
| 25/3/00 | PWLL DU | Garnddyrys branch traversed to large chamber by DMJ | TREG |
| 15/4/00 | PWLL DU | Garnddyrys branch shaft tidied up and tunnel explored to bedding collapse, using pumped air supply | TREG |
| 30/9/00 | BLAENAVON | Roof entrance re-opened and tunnel traversed to chamber with roof collapse, showing signs of further breakdown since 1988 | TREG |
| Nov 2000 | BLAENAVON | World Heritage Site confirmed | UNESCO |
| 15/1/01 | PWLL DU | Gwent Consultancy appointed to cost the restoration of both Pwll Du entrances | TORFAEN COUNCIL |
| 21/1/01 | BLAENAVON | Proposed restoration & presentation of southern approach: drawing completed by artist Michael Blackmore | TREG |
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KEY:
SH: Sean Heaver; CG: Clive Gardener; RM: Rob Murgatroyd; AG: Angela Garwood; DR: Dave Ramsay: SMT: Steve Tomalin; CC: Chris Crowley; CB: Chris Barber; TP: Trevor Pritchard; BD: Brian Davis; JK: Jeremy Knight; AB: Antoinette Bennett; DMJ: David Judson; PRD: Paul Deakin; JH: John Harvey; JL: John Lister; JC: John Cooper; KW: Kevin Wills; AF: Andy Farrant TREG: Pwll Du Tram Tunnel Research & Exploration Group; |