ALWAYS fancied exploring hundreds of metres below the surface of Cheshire? Now’s your chance.
Winsford Town Council is offering six people the chance to venture down to the UK’s largest and oldest working mine.
Located 300 metres below the town, Compass Minerals will take six prize winners will on a two-hour tour of the Winsford rock salt mine.
A spokesperson for the town council said: “Compass Mineral always show great support to Winsford Town Council events.
“We are delighted they have donated this amazing opportunity to visit the salt mine, good luck everyone!”
The Winsford mine was launched in 1844 when local prospectors were searching for coal.
Due to the oversupply of the market, it was forced to close down in 1892 before reopening in 1928 when the last mine in Northwich flooded.
Today it is Britain’s largest supplier of natural rock salt, used by maintenance companies to thaw icy roads in the winter.
It has also started to serve a second purpose, storage.
Years of mining left a huge void the size of 700 football pitches under the Cheshire countryside which is now being used to store treasured paintings, historical records and architectural models.
To be in with a chance of going on the tour you will need to purchase a Winsford Salt Fair programme for £1 and answer one question – how many miles of roadway are there underground?
Programmes can be purchased from The Old Star pub, Wharton and Over recreation grounds, and the festival itself on Marina Island on Saturday (September 16).
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