New detailed map reveals more than 8,000 unknown mine shaft and cave entrances

The underground realms of North Wales are gaining traction among adventure seekers, with the region's industrial legacy leaving a spider's web of mine shafts and entrances beneath its scenic vistas.

North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation (NWCRO) regularly navigates the subterranean maze to aid those who find themselves in peril deep within the earth. The complex tangle of caves under their watch presents formidable rescue challenges, where knowing the precise location of each entrance is critical.

Uncharted until now, many of the network's gateways have been enshrouded in secrecy. But one NWCRO member with advanced geospatial skills has changed the game. Geospatial expert Edward Lockhart, a keen caver with a PhD from Bangor University, invested years into demystifying the area through his maps, revealing previously unknown entrances and vital spots for organising rescue missions. "Before this, nobody really knew where all of the underground entrances were," Dr Lockhart has said, reports Wales Online.

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Dr Lockhart's expertise in caving is a boon to the NWCRO volunteers as they conduct their search and rescue missions. According to North Wales Live, the team usually responds to fewer than 10 callouts yearly, with rescues often becoming drawn-out affairs due to the complexities of the underground terrain.

"Our team works in one of the most challenging and isolating environments that exists," Dr. Lockhart expressed online. "Incidents can range from missing persons and injured casualties to trapped animals. Typically they commence late in the evening (just after you fall asleep! ) when people are reported missing, and continue overnight, well into the next day. But more complex incidents can easily span multiple days."

With a vast area of 6,200 sq km to cover, a myriad of mines lies uncharted. Edward, who serves as a senior data scientist at Cheshire's Hartree Centre research facility, saw the pressing need to map every prospective rescue site. For this purpose, he harnessed airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology lasers sent from aircraft to gauge distance and generate three-dimensional models of the landscape.

The innovative use of LiDAR technology has revolutionised mapping in dense forests, enabling the capture of fine details even through thick vegetation. Edward conducted a meticulous comparison of LiDAR data collected by the Welsh Government with various historical and modern datasets including the Ordnance Survey's comprehensive OS NGD.

The technology enabled him to locate entrance features that were previously hidden and missing from both historical and modern records. Edward mentioned: "To do this manually in the field would be absolutely impossible, even with an army of people," further elucidating, "Only by using geospatial datasets has a project of this scale been possible."

Through sheer dedication, NRCRO now flaunts the richest archive of subterranean sites in North Wales. Covering more than 8,000 mine entrances, the catalogue also details local road access and mobile phone signal strength. To pinpoint rendezvous points, OS Open Roads information was pivotal, while combining OS Code-Point Open with Ofcoms Mobile Coverage API offered insights into the finest spots for phone reception based on postcodes.

This priceless database is at the fingertips of rescue coordinators working remotely, and it's equally reliable when used in the remote wilds where rescuers traverse. Edward's scrupulous cartography has vastly amplified the team's efficiency in navigating to secluded and tricky locations. The North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation, which depends on the generosity of the public to carry out its crucial work, is accepting donations here.