CLEVELAND IRONSTONE MINE
We arrived at the
mine at 21:00hrs to get set up and have a discussion about our last visit.
Present from AGH, Angie, Mark, Jazz, Steph, Tracey, Ian and Andy who joined
us at midnight. This was going to prove an interesting night for Ian who is
the only member of the team to have never visited this location.
21.45hrs After
a quick walk around the different areas we went to the North-Drift area to
start the investigation. After about 15 minutes we soon became aware of sounds
of two men's voices, although we could not make out what was being said. The
team went to the end of the drift whilst Mark and Angie waited half way down
the tunnel. Angie was sat in her wheelchair with Mark stood next to her, suddenly
the wheelchair surged forward several inches, even though the brakes were
on, both Mark and Angie noticed it happen and Mark quickly checked the brakes
were on and tried to push the chair forward himself, which he found was not
easy, and there was no way it could have happened without being physically
pushed hard. At the same Jazz said that he could see the outline of someone
stood directly behind Angie, Mark was stood at the side of the chair. Another
few moments passed when both groups called to each other asking who was whistling
as this was heard by everyone. Steph also commented that someone was walking
towards where they were sat. Angie turned to Mark at the same time and said
there was a man walking towards the others, his name is Henry !! (a
surname was given and I have traced it, but will leave it off the report for
respect of family members who still live in the area). Tracey had not
seen the figure but had commented she could hear someone walking towards them.
Mark called out to Henry to see if we could get any response from him, he
tried for several minutes but there was no response.
At about half past ten we all got together in what was about half way down
the tunnel. As we stood observing the area we all saw someone move next to
the cart on the track, Angie said it was a female and she was calling out
for someone called Toby, Tracey said she also heard the voice and agreed it
was a females voice. Then Angie says she can see what she describes as a mini
whirlwind in the same area, she can see lots of little lights floating around
in a spiral, this went on for just under five minutes before it disappeared,
(Interestingly the sound on the camcorder seemed to
intensify, and our voices were playing like an echo, the sound resumed to
normal just as Angie commented the spiral went). Angie then says she
can hear white noise, exactly how you hear it when tuning an old radio between
two stations, Tracey said she could hear a male choir singing. As they explained
this Mark and Jazz went down to the end of the tunnel as there appeared to
be some movement. Ian turns to Angie and tells her he has got intense pains
in both his arms, the only way he could describe it, was that it is like when
you hit a chisel with an hammer for a prolonged period, (this
would be the same effect felt by the men who used what is called Jumper drill).
Meanwhile Mark and Jazz were at the bottom of the tunnel when they became
aware of a presence sat on one of the benches placed in there for guests to
sit on. Mark took temperature readings and either end of the bench was 5.5°c
yet the spot they felt the presence was in was at 8°c. Jazz sat in the
spot to see what he felt just as Angie called down to us there was a man already
sat there. Watch the video clip below showing readings from the end of the
bench to the point there was someone then to the other end of the bench.
Angie also says she can see him removing his cap to wipe his forehead, (flat
caps were once used until the arrival of health and safety and the hard hat).
Jazz says he feels as though he wants to take out his pipe and have smoke
on it. Tracey and Steph came down to where we were to see what was happening
when Jazz jumped up from the bench as he got an image of someone who was crushed
by a runaway cart, he says the image he got was not a nice sight as the mans
legs were both removed by the cart. Tracey who was holding the camcorder commented
that as Jazz explained this the camera was completely out of focus and it
seemed as though someone walked in between the camcorder and Jazz. Back towards
the middle Ian was explaining to Angie that he was finding it hard to breathe,
it is though my chest is full of dust, as he is telling her, the wheelchair
surges forward again, this time only one wheel moved, as if pushed on one
handle, which Ian witnessed. Nothing else happened for a while so mark once
again checked the brakes on the chair, by trying to push it forward and again
it would appear it could only happen if someone physically forced or pushed
it.
23.25hrs. We stopped for a break and waited for Andy who was joining us at midnight. He arrived at a quarter to 12.
0.15hrs. We went to the area next to the sound room which is where one of the old engines used to be to send air down a shaft into the mine. We got our old table out we used to use on our previous investigations and tours. Tracey, Andy and Steph tried some table tipping whilst Angie and Jazz were taking photos, Ian was observing and Mark was on camcorder. Jazz also set up a toy in the sound room, this is one we have used before on other investigations, the toy itself is a musical one that is activated by touch. As we stood around Angie became of George, who we have picked up on several times before, he was a former miner and also worked at the museum when it first opened. As they called out to George asking him to respond we heard what sounded like someone clap their hands and laughter. Seconds later the toy went off in the sound room, so mark set up a voice recorder in the room whilst the others continued at the table, Jazz stood by the door to the sound room trying to encourage whoever it was that set off the toy to do it again. By now George respond to questions by moving the table, but very slightly. Angie said listen then we heard a mans voice, but again we could not make out what was said. She also told us it was young Teddy who had moved the toy, but because it made a noise it scared him slightly. Teddy is a young boy that we have picked up on many times here, but he is from a time when young boys did not have many toys and those they did have would have been made of wood. Just to other side of the room we were in is a doorway that leads down a corrugated tunnel to the North-Drift, as we stood talking we all heard the sound of footsteps in that tunnel, so Mark opened the door and went through it to check and into the open yard area to where the entrance to the North-Drift is, he had a good look around and there was definitely no one there, so he came back and as he walked down the corrugated tunnel he was just about to say, "there is no one there" as he heard a humph sound to the side of him as if someone was stood next to him, as he turned to look Andy who was stood in the doorway commented he could see someone to Mark's left hand side. Angie also could see from where she was sat an outline of someone, so Jazz and Andy took a series of photos in the hope they would catch something on camera, sadly nothing has appeared on the photo's.
01.00hrs. We went to the deputies room where we have had several very good experiences on past investigations here. We all sat down on the benches except for jazz who stood in the doorway taking photos. We decided to try some table tipping and glass divination in here because of the good responses we have had before, as we prepared ourselves, both Andy and Steph could hear voices coming from the area called the experience, Jazz took some more photos of that area. Angie was Matthew was with us and that he was still as grumpy now as he was on all the previous visits we had been here, just the the table moved slightly as if he was agreeing with her. Andy and Mark were sat next to each other and both commented they felt light headed. Steph felt someone sit down on the bench in the empty spot next to her, as she looked down she could feel the bench move as if the person who had just sat down was getting themselves comfortable. Within seconds of Steph telling us this we were all alarmed to hear someone whistling yet again. (The reason we become alarmed by this, is that an old tradition amongst miners is that you should never whistle when underground, it is bad luck, the reason being is that people believe by being underground you are close to the devil and a whistle is a sure way of summoning him or some bad accident). Angie and Jazz became aware of two men joining us, Angie got the name James and jazz got the name Jacob. As they said this we all heard young Teddy's voice call out to us, we placed the glass on the table hoping to get a response from it, but instead we heard a knock on the underneath of the table, we asked him again to move the glass, to which he responded by knocking on the underneath of the table. Angie says another man has entered the room we don't know who he is, but Teddy seems a little apprehensive and leaves the room to go into the experience area of the museum. Nothing else happens as the other spirit leaves and Teddy will not come back in so we moved to where he was to find he had been joined by his friend the other spirit boy we call Jarvis.
01.30hrs. We set up the table again in the experience just between the deputies room and the sound room, Jazz moved the toy to the far end of the experience just passed the cart. We asked the two boys to move the table for us to show us they were there, and we got a good response from them. After doing this for ten minutes we heard footsteps from the ventilation room and Angie saw someone near the door to the sound room. She says Leonard is with us, he gives her the impression he died of a heart attack, but he will not come any closer and communicate with us, he seems a little baffled as to what we are doing and why we are here. We continued to get some movement on the table until Jazz suggests the boys try and move the toy at the other end, they seems to leave the table and go down there, so we moved the table into that area to continue. Angie says she can see one of them under the table and we get a few knocks on the table from underneath it. Things went quiet for a while but Angie says they are still with us, looking at the toy and are somewhat confused by it. Ian moves the area where the cart is and picks up the sprag and starts to point it at the wheel, so we explained to him that was what the sprag was used for. Angie says one of the boys has gone under the table again, so Steph picks up the toy and places it on the table, we asked one of them to move the table or bang on the toy. We heard several knocks on the walls around us, but none on the table, It was now 5 minutes to 2am and we were leaving at two, so we explained to the boys we were leaving now but could they please do something for us, as Mark said asked out, and before he finished his sentance the toy went of and even rolled slightly. We thanked the boys for the response and explained again we had to leave.
02.00hrs Investigation ended.
FINAL THOUGHT: once again the mine proved an interesting place to be and the staff as always very good company to be with and very hospitable..
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