RESIDENTS have said ‘influencers are a killer’ after a car graveyard was ‘destroyed’ by graffiti and abandoned dinghies.
Scores of abandoned motors line the bottom of the mineshaft near the remote village of Corris Uchaf, south Gwynedd,
7
7
7
7
The so called “Cavern of Lost Souls” became a haven for cavers over the years, drawn to its subterranean charms.
But now locals have hit out at “influencers” after the secret cave has been ruined by rubbish.
Enthusiasts fear day trippers whose sole purpose is to post pics on social media have now ruined the cult location.
Caver Anthony Taylor has hit out at the visitors he blames for trashing the site.
Speaking to the BBC he said: “It’s just disgusting, really sad and disheartening. 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?”
Anthony said parts of the cave were now strewn with discarded glow sticks and human faeces.
The walls were daubed with spray paint graffiti, more often associated with inner city areas.
The caver said one section of the shaft had become a graveyard for abandoned dinghies.
In 2019, nature photographer Gareth Owen captured some stunning shots of the “Cavern of Lost Souls” after deciding to explore the disused mine.
Gareth, from Llanberis in North Wales, said: “Once your eyes adjust to the sudden beam of light you realise the sheer scale of the place. There are hundreds of cars on top of each other.
“They are mostly unrecognisable by now but then front and center of the pile is a Ford Cortina – it was the only real colour on the pile.
“I guess being so used to photographing the natural landscapes and their beauty, photographing this spot was bittersweet for me.”
Gaewern slate mine was a fully working site in the 19th century, with 200 men working down there by 1873.
The site eventually closed in 1970. The cars dumped in the mine have polluted the underground lakes, and the site is deemed to extremely dangerous. Entering the mine without permission is strictly forbidden.
The scores of dumped Ford Cortinas and Austins from the 1960s and 1970s have also polluted the lakes and pools of water in the shaft.
Anthony added: “We have now got to clean up the place. It’s amazing.
They say leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures.”
7
7
7
