Dartmoor One - Tin Mine - 11th August 2006

The team attended a local venue on Dartmoor chosen by BJ for it's history and atmosphere. The venue known as "Dartmoor One" was initially to be used as a "social" however it was found to hold some very dark secrets.  BJ had located the ruins of a Tin Mine within 20 minutes of Plymouth. He had been told by an "old boy" that the area was said to be haunted by the spirit of a male who had murdered another within one of the Tinners shelters.  The male was also seen to wander down the lane to the river where he would wash the blood from his clothes. 
My thanks to ALL who attended I have taken the liberty to post some of your own thoughts of the investigation IN FULL they are very entertaining and I enjoyed reading them - I hope you will too!  This was the first of our "mini" excursions into Dartmoor there will hopefully be many more. BJ

Moon State

Aug 11, 2006 2:00 AM
Name: Waning Gibbous
Percent of Full: 96%
Age: 56%
Rise: 9:46 PM
Set: 8:27 AM

Temperature: On arrival: 18° C on site dropping to 10.5° C 

Environment Weather Conditions: Dry and overcast EMF Meter Readings Normal

Investigation

As per a normal full blown investigation the group split into smaller groups to work around the mine buildings, the mine shaft and the river bank.  The group picked up a variety of energies in the area here below are two of their stories! My thanks to Amanda and Jo for their input.

Amanda

19:15pm – My flask is ready and I’m packing my rucksack when a loud banging on my door starts my heart racing!  Who else could it be but my partners in crime Johanna and Louise?  They come bouncing through the hallway, full of beans and raring to go on our first mission with Haunted Devon.  Rosie (my jack Russell dog) notes we all have our walking shoes on and immediately starts to run around, yapping and jumping up excitedly.  Wagging her tail, she looks for her lead but sorry Rosie, this time you can’t come!  I grab my rucksack, give my youngest a hug and we head out the door. 

19:50 – We’ve made it to the meeting point, pulling into the car park of the Burrator Inn.  There is a young man and woman sitting in the beer garden studying what looks like a map of the area!  Bingo, “must be members of the group” pipes up Jo, as she gets out of the car a walks towards them.  “Hi there” she calls over, “Are you members of Byron’s group?”  They look blankly at each other and then politely say no.  Oops!!  We head into the pub and are greeted with the delicious aroma of freshly cooked chips!  Jo and I look at each other and decide that the smell is just too good to ignore and order a portion each to be washed down nicely with a diet coke (how ironic is that?)  We head to the smoking area of the bar and see 2 smiling faces.  They must be members of Haunted Devon, we decide and this time we were right!  Introducing themselves as Caz and Lucy we strike up conversation and exchange details about ourselves. Our chips are delivered to the table.   Breakfast, Dinner and Tea all at once! 

Soon the bar is buzzing with more members of Haunted Devon, what a friendly bunch of people.  We are talking about the venue for this evening’s vigil and speculating what may happen when we are joined by the host meister himself, Byron.  Isn’t it funny the impression you form of what you think people will look like before you actually meet them.  Byron, I was definitely expecting you to look like a “mad” scientist.  Well I couldn’t have been more wrong!  

21:10 – We head out to the car and follow some of the group to the venue, a derelict tin mine not too far from Burrator Reservoir.  The clouds were rolling in and promising a downpour, but this just added to the atmosphere of the moor.  Arriving at a small parking area, we gather together and Byron briefs us about the area we are to investigate.  Torches on, we are ready to go! 

Walking with Caz and Louise, we chat about our kids and compare notes on parenthood.  She really doesn’t look old enough to have a child of nineteen, in fact I’m wondering now how she managed to avoid the wrinkles, the tell tale signs of parenthood stress!  She chats openly about her work and about some of the vigils she has attended with the group.  This is definitely going to be an interesting evening. 

Once we reach the location we familiarise ourselves with the area and Lucy provides everyone with a delicious pasty (thank you W C Rowe), Byron splits us up into groups, Caz puts protection around the group and we head off to our first location, the old mine shaft. 

Following Byron and Dave James, Louise, Caz, Hails and myself, head into a small area that is thought to have been the entrance to an old mine shaft.  It’s warm and dusty and we are soon joined by a bat, which flits around the group before exiting the shaft and departing into the night.  Torches off and the area is plunged into total darkness, the girls are seated on the muddy floor, Byron is standing towards the entrance and David is filming the vigil. 

Caz is picking up on some energy and describing a character that she feels is present with us and I point and shoot the camera.  Interestingly, in the area where Caz has sensed energy, what appears to be an orb is clearly seen on the digital photo I have just taken.  I have to admit though, that the area is dusty and it could just be a dust particle.  We stay for around 30 minutes discussing all things paranormal, hoping that it may just encourage some phenomena. But it is to no avail! 
Next stop is the river, where there have been sightings of a man washing his clothes after commiting a murder.  The area is open with a stone bridge to the left and a river flowing gently in front of us.  The wind is whistling through the trees and a full moon is rising to cast more light into the area we are standing.  It is very atmospheric, yet so calm and peaceful.  It’s hard to imagine that such a deed could have taken place in these beautiful surroundings. 

Caz is describing what she is experiencing to Byron and David is filming.  STOP!  The Dictaphone that Byron is using to record Caz has stopped recording.  What is going on?  David continues to film and Hails and Louise wander around the area, I stand and absorb the atmosphere for a bit longer. Peace and harmony is what I experience, tranquillity.  But this is soon shattered as David turns towards me and lets out an almighty shout!  I jump and Byron almost falls of the rock he is perched on. 
We soon dissolve into laughter, as David explains that he thought he saw or heard something behind me.  Great!  I seem to attract spooks wherever I go, believe me, they love me!!!  Anyway, it gave us a bit of an adrenaline rush, all good fun. 

Louise and I spent time talking with Byron about how and why he decided to start the group then headed off across the bridge to see if we too could sense anything as Caz and Hails didn’t seem too keen on that area.  Louise was giggling and explained that she sensed there were two children around us a boy and a girl, playing hide ‘n’ seek.  At the same time as Louise, I thought I heard a young boy’s voice laughing and saying “come out, come out wherever you are” although I did not sense an energy.  We were discussing this when the nursery rhyme Mary, Mary quite contrary pinged in to my head!  Louise thought that it could be a reference to the young girl she sensed and reasoned it may be her name.  Who knows. 

Heading back across the bridge, I stopped to point and shoot at random areas to see if I would pick anything up on the digital camera, although there was nothing unusual about the pictures on review.  We headed back up to the ruins and took a break for a cuppa and chat with Tracy and Johanna.  A good place to camp, we decided, but not tonight. 

Resting on our laurels wasn’t an option for long as Byron continued his pursuit of the paranormal with Louise and me, to an open area on the left.  Surrounded by trees, this open glade bathed in moonlight sent shivers up my spine.  The area was cold, but offered no hostile feeling, just a sense of peace.  “I’m just not getting anything” I said to both Louise and Byron “Are either of you?” shaking heads answered this for me but Byron did say that some of the others really didn’t like it. 

We moved on to the derelict buildings next stumbling a few times over the stones and almost falling in the stinging nettles that were carpeting the ground.  Where’s Johanna we wondered she normally manages to slip and slide her way through an area we investigate, much to the amusement of Lou and myself.  But she wasn’t going to entertain us this evening, she was too busy working!  So we carried on through the openings and ventured up to a quiet area behind the house.

Now Louise is a bit of a practical joker and often scares the living daylights out of us when we are searching for spooks, so it was amusing for me when she jumped out of her skin when David looked up from the stone he was perched on and spoke!  Well done Dave, you did it again…..  Well that was both of us who had had a scare now, thanks to the same culprit.  Don’t worry Mr James, we’ve got your card marked now….he he he! 

So what was this area, we mused for a while.  Louise suggested it was a dungeon and that there were bodies beneath.  With such an imagination she should have been on Jackonory!  I perched myself on a large stone and spent some time talking to Dave.  We discussed childhood, partners, our children and the paranormal and the vigils he had attended.  But, as is always the way, time catches up and it was time to gather the group together, close the circle and return to our homes and families, who would be tucked up nice and warm in their beds. 

The trek back up to the area where the cars were parked seemed longer than when we had originally arrived.  We crossed paths with several Dartmoor Ponies and almost took the wrong path and went trekking on the moors.  But we managed to make it back to the car, where we said our goodbye’s to everyone and headed home. 
The night was uneventful in a paranormal aspect; however I really enjoyed meeting with everyone and sharing experiences and stories.  It was a fantastic location and well worth visiting.  So congratulations Byron, good choice. 

I sincerely hope that the group enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs and would just like to thank everyone who made me feel so comfortable and like I had been a member forever.  It was truly great to meet like minded people who are as mad as my friends and I and I can’t wait to meet up again and go on another Ghost Hunt.

Jo 

The evening for me started as a get to know you night, but as the evening wore on my investigative gene took hold. As I explained my mediumship is somewhat rusty as I have spent a good number of years now concentrating on my healing development.  However the spirit world has been prompting me for some little time now to go back into the mediumship side of things, hence joining your group.  So onto Friday night investigation of the old Tin mining works somewhere on the moors. 

We all drove to a car parking area where we were given health and safety advice from Byron. Then Jacqui warned us about the dangers to the environment from discarded dog ends, that’s coggies to the non smokers. Sorry that should have read ciggies, as it was not raining that night.  We then moved as a group down the track to the mining site, I was walking with Lucy who was carrying essential equipment in the form of pasties, we had an interesting chat along the way, thanks Lucy. 

Then we all reached the site and everyone was having a look around, I felt something and then realized I was drawing a symbol of a pentagram in the soil at my feet. This indicated to me that this had been a Pagan site in the past. Caz opened in prayer and asked the spirit world for protection for the group.  Thanks Caz. 

Byron then gave us a little history about the site before sorting us into individual groups. We were then given our assignment to investigate. While all this had been going on, my attention was drawn to the main building behind me. Don’t fancy that one I thought, but you guessed it that’s where my group had to go, so off I went like a good little investigator. 

The first room we entered seemed ok it had two doorways adjacent to each other, one directly facing me with another to its left hand side.
This was the one that drew my attention, I tried to enter the other room through this doorway but found I couldn’t go through the opening. How strange I thought, it also felt very cold there? It felt like an invisible force was barring the entryway to the inner room. 

I left the building via the other doorway and moved around the building and entered the other room. It was at this point that Jamie called down to me from a spot on the upper level, she had discovered a shaft so I went up to have a look.  This looked to me as if it could have been a chimney at some time although there wasn’t a hearth visible I couldn’t think of another use for the shaft at that time.  Someone in the group below us called out that they felt there was something going on over by another doorway.  This is becoming spooky I thought, could these doorways be portals to another dimension, oops letting my imagination run away with me again.  So anyway I approached the doorway in question, funny though it was on the opposite side of the room from my spooky one.  It led to the outside of the building everything seemed ok there so I came back through, that’s when I felt the presence of a male energy. 

The others had wandered off to the other side of the room, which then left me on my own.  I turned off my torch “who’s afraid of the dark?” not me! 

The gift’s (or are they curses) that I am able to tap in to are: 
1.       Clairvoyance (seeing in the mind’s eye)
2.       Clairaudience (hearing within my mind)
3.       Clairsentient (feeling within my whole body) 

Clairaudient, I heard a male voice with a Scottish accent.  I asked him who he was he replied that his name was Mac.  Then he added Mack the Knife!  I then asked him if he was connected to the tin mine, “yes” he replied.  I then asked him how he was connected to the area, did he work there or was he an owner?  He replied that he was a ganger, which meant nothing to me at the time, however Jacqui later clarified this for me. 

The energy started to fade at this point so I switched on the torch and moved forward in the room.  I wanted to know why I couldn’t go through the doorway on the opposite side of this room, I’m a bit like a dog with a bone with these things and can’t let go until I know what’s going on.  I entered the first room again and then relayed to the group the information I had received so they then decided to go and investigate themselves.  This left me alone once more so I sat down and linked with my master guide, having once again turned my torched off (to conserve the batteries!) and questioned “what’s going on?” 

It transpires the reason I was unable to go through the doorway was because a woman’s body was blocking it, she had been chained or bound by the hands to a point each side of the doorway and was being flogged (not sold you twit) but being beaten with a strap, birch or some such object.  She was dressed in full-length skirts and a bodice with full-length sleeves and a bonnet.  This didn’t make sense to me, I could feel her pain and humiliation but it still felt bizarre.  Why would a woman be flogged in this manor in an inner doorway of a dwelling? (It will all become clear, I promise)  I am however relating the events as they happened. 

I rejoined the group as they had called out to me as I was alone; I explained what I had been doing and then relayed the information I had received.  I then examined the doorway in order to see if there were any points where the shackles could have been, but found nothing.  I could still feel the pain and suffering this woman was going through at the hands of a male.  Although I could not see him, I sensed his rage, ok I thought its time for this to stop but was unable to communicate with either, as what I was seeing was a replay of an event that had occurred as opposed to actual entities. 
I felt that the two different things I had encountered were not linked and were form different time periods. 

Our group reassembled at the meeting point as Tracy was in a lot of pain, it was at this point I offered her healing and the rest of the group departed to investigate another area.  I remained in this area with Tracy so she wouldn’t be alone and we were joined intermittently by other members of other groups. 

The evening came to a close all too quickly, I had really enjoyed myself.  Caz closed the circle and we all headed back to the cars.  Louise and Mandy were discussing the big cats seen on the moor and how they who would get to the car fastest!  Oh never mind Jo then, who incidentally has the keys girls!! 

When we reached the parking area, we said our good bye’s to everyone and left. 
Eating a pasty at 3 o’clock in the morning with a nice cup of tea to wash it down, I mulled the evenings events over in my mind.  It became clearer to me that the event involving the woman was a period of time long before the mines were built.  Earlier in the evening I had drawn a pentagram on the ground indicating that pagan rituals had been carried out on the site.  This would certainly seem more logical, with the punishment of witches it was common place to have floggings. 

I hope that this is the first of many investigations that I will be invited to attend and would just like to thank you all for such a good evening. 
Johanna (joknite)

Conclusion

This was an interesting evening and despite our best attempts we have to date failed to find either the name or the exact date of the mine area.  For a "mini" investigation this site held much potential.  Whilst we received no credible scientific evidence there was plenty going on in the spiritual side of the club. 

History - Jackie Edwards

My Background

Just to explain this ramble, I am a Chartered Environmentalist (that doesn’t mean I’m a tree hugger !) so I have spent must of my 22 professional career working in and around these sites. Caradon is my favourite – there are sites there that could tell a story – but this was right in my element. Apologies for the rambling background info but I hope you find it interesting. It may help explain some of the occurrences – then again, it may not ! My main interest in HD is using my environmental knowledge to support investigations but I am not necessarily a sceptic. The environment, like the paranormal, plays tricks sometimes !

Mining Background

Dartmoor’s mining history goes back to Roman times and, no doubt, beyond. The moor we see today is the result of thousands of years of human interaction and, although we may now see it as a pleasurable wilderness that needs protection and conservation, the reality is that the open space we enjoy today has only really existed for less than 100 years. Nowhere is this more relevant than the mining communities of Southern Dartmoor.

Less than romantic realities

We have a very romantic view of mining heritage. You only have to pick up or watch the interpretations of Winston Graham in his (and the BBC’s) Poldark series, the Retallick series of EV Thompson (based just across the Tamar on the areas around Minions) and, closest of all, Fiona Kendall’s ‘The Plundered Land’, which focuses on Sharpitor and the tributors mines – exactly where we were working.1

In reality, mining life was hard and dangerous for men, women and children alike. The work was back breaking and the Stannary Laws even more so. As far back as Henry VIII’s time, Stannary Laws could have you hung for minor offences – often with no rights to a hearing or any chance of putting your case. Lydford jail’s reputation is based on this unjust system – where people would simply disappear over night only to re-appear strung up for not paying a six penny tax or something even more trivial. Even personal rights were limited and beyond the general law of the land – in 1800 it was still legal to sell your wife or daughter (don’t get any ideas !) whether or not she approved !

Miners rights were also limited. Many were ‘tributors’ – travelling miners who would work where they could and often in the worst conditions. Many came from Wales and Scotland and, by 1790, from Cornwall as the tin industry there faltered. If you found tin (bound in to the mineral cassiterite) you could claim squatters rights and, if you could build a home between sunrise and sunset, you could keep the land. Few became rich this way and you were always at the mercy of the land owners who would do what they could to repossess your stake and the minerals on them. The same practice is found in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland (‘chy an nos’ or ‘ house in a night’) and is possibly even a right today – although I wouldn’t try it !

The tin itself, once refined, was brought twice a year to Stannary Courts to be valued, stamped and sold. Plympton, as a Stannary Town, was the nearest centre for this mine and was, at that time, more important than Plymouth.

The Environment – what you see isn’t necessarily what you get here !

And then there’s the environmental implications. All of the minerals found around Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor and along the spine of Cornwall were created when the granite we see in its weathered form today, was pushed through the existing landscape in huge volcanic eruptions. The heat created simply melted the minerals in to veins that then set in to the rock.2 This all took place millions of years ago.

By Neolithic times, Dartmoor’s climate had warmed up and was very much like that of Southern France. As crops and livestock thrived here, Neolithic people inhabited the high moor – usually on and around the tors. The area of Sharpitor, less than 1km from our site, is littered with round houses and farmsteads and would make a good investigation site. As such these people were, quite literally, pagans, as this took place long before the introduction of Christianity, so I suppose it is possible that spiritual evidence of pagan worship could be sensed here – especially close to the river as water spirits were highly prized for their powers. Archaeological evidence shows these people were tough but they had a complex worship system.3
As for modern day pagan or ‘satanic’ worship, my colleagues at the D&C Constabulary and Dartmoor National Park are aware that it happens but there’s no evidence of it here….the site is simply too close to habitation and is easily accessible by Police and Ranger transport.

In support of this you need to consider what the landscape looked like then and what it looks like now. The heyday of mining in this area was between 1790 and 1920. Although mining for china clay and, possibly, tungsten, is still possible, these in no way match the extremes of landscapes you would have seen. The Southern moor was littered with settlements, mines, shafts and ‘blowing houses’ – the furnaces where the ore was smelted. The air would have been thick with smoke and fumes and the land and water highly contaminated with spoil heaps. A bill to protect the water sources on Dartmoor from this pollution resulted in its proposer, a local MP, being taken to court for daring to threaten the mining industry. He was simply trying to protect the water supplies of the Devonport and Drakes Leats – the first –ever- UK example of piped water (dating back to 1550 or so). If you want some idea of what it looked like visit the Red River Valley near Redruth as here the derelict land left behind has never really recovered.

The other consideration here is arsenic – originally a by product of the tin mining but, as supplies began to dwindle, something that 18th Century mine owners pounced on. Arsenic was used to created green dye – a favourite colour of Georgian England and probably the eventual reason for the demise of both Napoleon and the writer Emile Zola and reputably linked with the hauntings at Mary Kings Close in Edinburgh. The natural arsenic in the water in the S West is still high and anyone particularly sensitive moving in to areas such as Bodmin Moor may still experience stomach discomfort for a few days whilst they get used to the water. It wont kill you – in fact in small doses it’s a tonic and it makes Begonias grow – but it is a natural killer !

The arsenic was also extracted by smelting – with the fumes channelled along flumes where the arsenic crystallised. Those unfortunate enough to be sent down these cooled flumes to hack the crystals off rarely survived more than three of four weeks…experiencing a slow and painful death focused on stomach pains. The churchyards of the Bere Alston peninsular bear witness to this with the average age of the men being between 20 and 30, that of women between 50 and 70. Needless to say miners wives (like those of soldiers and sailors at the time) often bore many different surnames as, once widowed, you didn’t hang around. You found a new husband to provide for you – that was if you weren’t already overworked and suffering yourself !

Then there’s radon. An odourless, colourless natural radioactive gas that is emitted by granitic rocks. Some of you may have radon monitors in your cellars. Again it is relatively harmless if vented properly but, as a natural source of radiation, it has to be taken seriously.

Lastly there’s the vegetation. The area around our site was mined mostly between 1823 and 1920 so much of the vegetation seen is less than 100 years old and, if you look at the trees, they confirm that, with one or two exceptions, most are only about 50 to 70 years old. The conifer plantations at Norsworthy Plantation (to the right of the lane leading to the site) and the Leather Tor Planation (to the left) are even younger. Conifers grow quickly and are a cash crop on Dartmoor. These areas are probably no more than 20 or 30 years old. This needs to be taken in to account too.

So what did we get and what have we got ?

Excluding the bright light on one of my photos that I cant explain there are a number of interesting links we could make with what members were finding on Friday night. I can’t believe I was trying to talk to a stalk of bracken by the capped off mine shaft but, it was moving more than any of the other bits around and responded to questions. It was slightly breezy but the movement seemed to happen when the breeze died down – paranormal or simply environmental ? There were no orbs, mists or shadows on any of my photos.  Yes, the top meadow did seem strange (as did the second area we tried to the right of the stile) but Dartmoor is a strange place at night…as are wooded valleys and conifer plantations. Maybe I am too used to sites like this – not that I’ve ever been to one that late at night !

Pagan worship : Very possible given the location, the evidence of remains and the water but probably Neolithic rather than recent.
A small child and a woman – very possible. Families grew, worked and died together up here. Children were often working collecting ore etc by the age of five but that doesn’t mean they didn’t play. Many died tragically young from disease, the conditions or in accidents.

A Scotsman as a ‘ganger’ – very possible. Towards the end of the industry tributers came from all over the UK for work. Experienced gang leaders would have been in charge and quite possibly would have been very short tempered due to the nature of the dangers they were overseeing. They were also probably single men having had to travel far and wide for work.
A mine worker : not difficult. It would have been good to know if there are any records for this site but accordinglyto  A K Hamilton Jenkin’s Mines of Dartmoor, there are few records of any of the workings around this area – mainly because they were all tributer mines.

And that was about it. The site seemed very quiet…more likely to disturb a big cat than a ghost !
1 I have copies of all of them if anyone wants to borrow – on pain of death getting them back to me !
2 Technical term is a ‘metamorphic aureole’
3 An accompanied investigation could be arranged for this site.

Post Investigation
Since our investigation Bridget and Sam attended the same location (they were unable to attend on the night) I have included their report as it makes VERY interesting reading and ties in with some of what has previously been forwarded.  It was also interesting to note that David has also heard some very strange audibles in the area of the mine .. was someone trying to warn us?

Tin Mine report Brigette

On Tuesday the 22nd of August Sam and myself, decided to try and find the tin mine at Burrator.  We eventually found it, though Byrons drawn directions took some working out!  We arrived some time just before 3p.m. and had taken some equipment with us i.e. cameras and video camera, dowsing rods, and emf meter.  Weather was overcast, slightly misty, with intermittent rain and drizzle.  Temperature mild, quite warm. 

On entering the mine ruins we set up stools and chairs and just sat for a while to get the feel of the place. I felt it was very oppressive there and Sam felt the same and that the place didn’t have a very nice ‘feel’ to it.  Even after sitting for some time, both of us had feelings of tightness on our chests. We both felt quite out of breath.  I decided to go for a quick walk around and on returning to Sam I got the dowsing rods out.

Asking various questions we got this information but to be truthful I’m still not 1000% sure of dowsing rods being reliable.  Information got was as follows – 6 spirits there present, 2 grounded and the others in visitation. 5 male spirits 1 female.  The female was the one supposedly murdered, she was called Annie (Sam was the one who came up with the names and dowsing rods confirmed) and was aged 15 when she died.  She was the girlfriend of 1 of the tinners there, a man called Thomas aged 21 who was not well thought of by Annie’s parents.  Annie used to visit the mine frequently and in a freak accident she slipped and fell down a mine shaft. (Sam thinks she hit her head and was killed that way)

Thomas knew this had happened but couldn’t save her and panicked not telling anyone what had happened.  Therefore he was accused of her murder by the girl’s parents. 
We then had a bit of a walk around and took loads of photos, and tried to find where the cave was that we had seen Lucy and Stainey photographed in.  We walked up through the grassy bit to where the air vent railinged off was and as we stood there I looked up and to my left, to see if there were anything else around. Through the trees and undergrowth I could clearly see a stone building in amongst the trees that looked a little like a small shack, but made of the same stone as the ruins.  I turned to Sam and said “shall we go and see what that is?” she looked in the same direction and agreed she could see the same building. We decided to make our way up to the building after we had retrieved our things from back in the ruins.  So we went back down, packed up the stuff and headed back up to the air vent.  This time on reaching the air vent and walking along a little up the grass, both Sam and I stopped in our tracks as we could no longer see the building, it had completely vanished.  We both looked at each other and walked up a little further, but nothing was there except trees and undergrowth.  To say we were a little bit freaked is an understatement and we both confirmed with each other that we had originally seen a definite building!  On walking back down towards the ruins and trees covering them, we heard the sound of heavy rain falling through the trees.  We were stood in the open at this point and we were completely dry as NO rain was falling.  Sam said, to her it sounded like crackling fire!

We then decided to get back on to the track to try and find the cave in another direction. Walking down the track we came upon it and as we looked Sam said she could see a mist around the front of the cave and inside it.  As it was a moist rainy day I suggested that maybe it could be some kind of dust coming off the rock itself. We do not know what this was.  We took several photos but it felt uncomfortable there and I certainly did not want to go inside, neither did Sam.  I didn’t like it at all!!  We realised that time was getting on and decided to make our way back to the car ending the mini investigation. 

So there you have an account of what happened to us!! 
Snaggers