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Instagram fans ruining special places, says caver | Instagram fans ruining special places, says caver |
(about 16 hours later) | |
Cleaning up the 'cavern of lost souls' | Cleaning up the 'cavern of lost souls' |
Cleaning up the 'cavern of lost souls' | Cleaning up the 'cavern of lost souls' |
Social media photo seekers are "killing" special places, says a caver after volunteers hauled piles of rubbish out of a 19th Century mine. | Social media photo seekers are "killing" special places, says a caver after volunteers hauled piles of rubbish out of a 19th Century mine. |
Anthony Taylor said a YouTube video of old cars dumped in the Gwynedd quarry had more than six million views, bringing an influx of visitors. | Anthony Taylor said a YouTube video of old cars dumped in the Gwynedd quarry had more than six million views, bringing an influx of visitors. |
Dozens of photos of the "car grave" have since appeared on Instagram. | Dozens of photos of the "car grave" have since appeared on Instagram. |
But those taking the pictures also left behind rubbish and graffiti. | But those taking the pictures also left behind rubbish and graffiti. |
"They are beautiful places, and a lot of people don't want them to be ruined," said Mr Taylor, 42, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. | "They are beautiful places, and a lot of people don't want them to be ruined," said Mr Taylor, 42, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. |
"Instagram seems to be the killer of a lot of things," he said. "People turn up, take a picture and then leave [a mess]." | "Instagram seems to be the killer of a lot of things," he said. "People turn up, take a picture and then leave [a mess]." |
Going underground for the world's deepest sleep | Going underground for the world's deepest sleep |
The village that lost its coal but not its soul | The village that lost its coal but not its soul |
Hidden world's beauty revealed by explorer | |
Gaewern slate mine is on private land near Corris Uchaf. Mining began in 1820, and continued after a merger with nearby Braichgoch slate mine until the 1970s, employing 200 at its peak. | Gaewern slate mine is on private land near Corris Uchaf. Mining began in 1820, and continued after a merger with nearby Braichgoch slate mine until the 1970s, employing 200 at its peak. |
The "car grave" is illuminated by shafts of light at certain times of day | The "car grave" is illuminated by shafts of light at certain times of day |
After it closed, old cars and televisions were dumped into one of the mine's two main chambers above a lake, creating the unusual scene of a rusting scrap metal heap that gets illuminated by shafts of sunlight at certain times of day. | After it closed, old cars and televisions were dumped into one of the mine's two main chambers above a lake, creating the unusual scene of a rusting scrap metal heap that gets illuminated by shafts of sunlight at certain times of day. |
"It's a bizarre environment, probably the one of the oddest places in the world," he remembered from his first visit in 2022. | "It's a bizarre environment, probably the one of the oddest places in the world," he remembered from his first visit in 2022. |
"How often do you see hundreds of cars underground with lights coming onto them from the sun?" | "How often do you see hundreds of cars underground with lights coming onto them from the sun?" |
But to get there, he first had to pass an entrance littered with discarded bin bags that visitors had used to try to keep their feet dry. | But to get there, he first had to pass an entrance littered with discarded bin bags that visitors had used to try to keep their feet dry. |
The cavers removing graffiti and rubbish from Gaewern in March | The cavers removing graffiti and rubbish from Gaewern in March |
"From about 30ft (9m) in, the spray painting starts, and it was awful," he said. | "From about 30ft (9m) in, the spray painting starts, and it was awful," he said. |
The graffiti gets worse in the main chamber towards the cars, he said, with more rubbish on the floor, including discarded glow sticks and human faeces. | The graffiti gets worse in the main chamber towards the cars, he said, with more rubbish on the floor, including discarded glow sticks and human faeces. |
"When you get to the end, it was just a sea of boats, inflatable dinghies everywhere," he said. | "When you get to the end, it was just a sea of boats, inflatable dinghies everywhere," he said. |
"It's just disgusting, really sad and disheartening. | "It's just disgusting, really sad and disheartening. |
Preserved boots, lanterns and massive machinery frozen in time are captured in videos and photos | |
Preserved boots, lanterns and massive machinery frozen in time are captured in videos and photos | |
"The whole reason people want to visit a place like this is because they've seen it on the internet and think, 'That's an amazing place to go and see', so why would you trash it?" | "The whole reason people want to visit a place like this is because they've seen it on the internet and think, 'That's an amazing place to go and see', so why would you trash it?" |
Mr Taylor said he and his fellow cavers hauled as many dinghies out as they could and held a bigger clean-up with six volunteers on 22 March. | Mr Taylor said he and his fellow cavers hauled as many dinghies out as they could and held a bigger clean-up with six volunteers on 22 March. |
"Something had to be done," he said, estimating his group and another from the YouTube channel Hell on Earth removed 30 discarded dinghies in total. | "Something had to be done," he said, estimating his group and another from the YouTube channel Hell on Earth removed 30 discarded dinghies in total. |
"The people that go to these places, influencers they call themselves… they go because they've got inherent value to them. Why destroy it for everyone else?" | "The people that go to these places, influencers they call themselves… they go because they've got inherent value to them. Why destroy it for everyone else?" |
Caver Gareth Jones and the other volunteers alongside the rubbish brought to the surface | Caver Gareth Jones and the other volunteers alongside the rubbish brought to the surface |
He wants to educate people about the value of old mines, and fears sites like Gaewern could one day be sealed off. | He wants to educate people about the value of old mines, and fears sites like Gaewern could one day be sealed off. |
"If these things keep happening, it's going to be lost to everyone forever." | "If these things keep happening, it's going to be lost to everyone forever." |
During his many trips to abandoned mines around mid Wales he has found a child's footprint, hobnail boots, tools, miners' gloves and a 170-year-old barrow "still where the miner originally left it". | During his many trips to abandoned mines around mid Wales he has found a child's footprint, hobnail boots, tools, miners' gloves and a 170-year-old barrow "still where the miner originally left it". |
"If you can't see [the value] in that, I don't know. | "If you can't see [the value] in that, I don't know. |
"I wouldn't have thought you'd have to teach people these things, but you really do in this day and age." | "I wouldn't have thought you'd have to teach people these things, but you really do in this day and age." |
THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK: The bitter year-long miners' strike struggle | THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT BACK: The bitter year-long miners' strike struggle |
STRIKE: Jonny Owen tracks the impact of the miners' strike on Britain | STRIKE: Jonny Owen tracks the impact of the miners' strike on Britain |
Related Topics | Related Topics |
Wales | Wales |
Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth |
Mining | Mining |