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The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)
Gen
| Product name | The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | lulu.com |
| Price range | £18.96 |
| Web link | http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-milwr-tunnel---second-%28colour%29-edition/1644065 |
| Rated |
|
Full Review
Background
Cris Ebbs' The Milwr Tunnel is, by default, the definitive work on this fascinating subject and the book provides an interesting look at the history of a massive underground world that few locals will be aware of.
The Milwr Tunnel was driven from the coast near Bagillt on the Dee Estuary and ultimately terminates near Mold, some 10 miles south. Work started in 1897 and was halted in 1957, albeit with several long stoppages.
The tunnel was driven to act as a drain for numerous intersecting lead and zinc ore workings and enabled the veins to be worked considerably lower. In addition, limestone was mined from 1939 to 1969.
The book
The book covers the history of the tunnel and associated workings, as well as working methods, the drainage systems and modern exploration by the Grosvenor Caving Club. It is split into 8 chapters with geological notes, glossary of terms, references & acknowledgements.
The obvious failing of the book is that it's simply too short: whilst that may come across as a criticism of some sort, it's also a compliment as the book leaves the reader wishing there were more of it. The writing style is easy to read and uncomplicated and generally presented in a logical manner.
One chapter concentrates on the memories of John Bellis, who worked at Milwr from 1931 to 1978 and this provides a unique insight into the history of the workings, including their wartime use for munitions storage.
Illustrations include an overall survey of the system, with more detailed inset for the Halkyn area. There are numerous archive photographs, particularly of surface workings, while there are also many good quality modern photographs which capture the essence of the workings.
Overall, this is a useful addition to the bookshelf, which has been well-written by the sort of person who would be amongst it's target audience.
Publishing details
The book is available from lulu.com which is an interesting method of making limited print run books available.
In simple terms, Lulu stock no books, but print to order: whilst the expectation may be that quality would suffer, that is not the case and print quality is in fact better than some traditionally printed books which cover a similar niche market.
Delivery time was about a week, which is as good as many specialist retailers who already have stock: certainly this method of publication should not be discounted on grounds of delivery time.
The size of the book is slightly larger than A5, with good paper and print quality over the 108 pages. The softcovers are glossy-printed and the reproduction of the over 120 photographs and illustration is impressive.
Two editions are available: one in colour for £18.96 and a black & white version at £8.22.
Reply to the thread New review added 'The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)' in the forum
Thread: New review added 'The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)'
New review added 'The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)'A new review has been added to the Gear Reviews page. Product name: The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edit...
Posted 14/06/2009 22:21:21 by Vanoord
New review added 'The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)'
An excellent review, thank Vanoord. Shall order a copy (already have the original version)....
Posted 18/06/2009 10:44:04 by simonrl
New review added 'The Milwr Tunnel (Second Edition)'
[quote="simonrl"]An excellent review, thank Vanoord. Shall order a copy (already have the original v...
Posted 18/06/2009 13:10:00 by Brakeman
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