Clearwell Caves was formed when
water passed through a kind of rock
called limestone and then turned
into an underground river. Iron ore
was found on the ground above and
miners later searched for it beneath.
As you can see from the photo, if you
look carefully there are some areas
where a beautiful red colour
can be found. When the miner digs
it out and cleans it up, he can make
ochre. What’s more there are yellow,
brown and purple shades too!
Miners had to be fit, as the iron was
heavy. Amazingly, some children
worked in Clearwell Caves because
they could get through narrow gaps.
Torches weren’t invented then so
everyone had to use a candle to see.
To go deeper into the mines you had
to climb down ladders. The ladders in
this picture are narrow, so they look
quite scary! The bottom one is made
from chains, and is more than 150
years old.
12
SPARK