Mystery surrounds a gigantic sinkhole that appeared on a popular walking route just metres from a main road in Caerphilly. The void was found at around 9.30am on Saturday, January 14, on common land near Graig-y-Rhacca housing estate.
Janet Evans came across the "30 feet wide by six to 10 feet deep" hole while walking her dog in the greenery just off Addison Way road. The 60-year-old, who works in dam safety at Welsh Water, told WalesOnline at the time: "This is rather unusual because there is no water source up there. I looked over the brambles and lo and behold, there was a sinkhole.
"Judging by the look of the soil, it happened overnight. Part of my training is in soil erosion, where we learn about how the water can creep through the earth and cause erosion, so I knew what it was when I saw it. This wasn't just a pothole, this was a gigantic crater."
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A few days later, on January 17, Zoe Rose-Higgins, head of public safety and subsidence at the Coal Authority, said the organisation was working closely with Caerphilly County Borough Council to make the site safe and carry out thorough investigations to determine the cause.
She said the authority would form a permanent solution if findings showed the collapse happened due to historical mine workings. More than a month later, on February 22, WalesOnline asked the Coal Authority for an update on its investigation. A spokesman said the investigation was still ongoing.
The spokesman said: “We recently responded to a ground collapse at land just off Addison Way Road, Graig-Y-Rhacca, Caerphilly, that was reported to us by Caerphilly County Borough Council. To keep people safe, we fenced the area and stabilised the ground with stone while we carry out further investigations.
“If this incident was caused due to historical coal mine workings, we will design a permanent solution and carry out repair works as soon as we can. To report a coal mine hazard, please call us on 0800 288 4242, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
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