Some quarries are still in use, but the majority have been converted or have been filled in. This brings unseen risks of its own – three potential areas of concern are:

Box Mine

No longer active but consisting of a network of tunnels used from Roman times up to 1968.

Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines

These date from the 17th and 18th century but are also now closed. They’ve been used for a variety of other uses since closure including a mushroom farm and an air raid shelter.

Underground extraction of Bath Stone continues in the Corsham area but on a smaller scale than previously. For example, Hanson Bath & Portland Stone, part of the Heidelberg Cement Group, operates Hartham Park Underground Quarry in the Hudswell district (southwest of Pickwick). The Bath Stone Group operates the Stoke Hill mine.

Are they mandatory?

Both the Law Society and the Council of Mortgage Lenders advise that mining searches should be considered in areas where historical activity has taken place.

When are they ordered?

As with all the other searches we have covered, they should be ordered as soon as you appoint your conveyancing solicitor. As a minimum you should order Land Registry and Local Searches, Water and Drainage Searches, an Environmental Search and a Flood Search 

Other searches, depending on where the property is in the country include Coal and Brine, China and Ball Clay, Tin Mining, Limestone, Cheshire Brine, Radon Gas and Ground Stability.

One of the first things your conveyancer will do is ask you for money ‘on account’ in order to pay for these searches.

Are there different types?

Yes. There are a number of different providers of this search. Some specialist providers will supply stand-alone searches. Others will include metal (metalliferous mining searches), fullers earth and china and ball clay within a combined search. Your conveyancing professional will advise which is best.

What do they tell you?

Depending on the report purchased, and the particular property you are looking to purchase, your report is likely to include:

• Whether the property is situated in an area where underground extraction has ever taken place.
• The presence of any mine workings or shafts under, within or adjacent to boundaries of the property.
• The nearest recorded underground working with an approximate distance to the property.
• Currently operational mines and the distance from the property.
• Nearby quarries with an approximate distance to the property.
• The likelihood the property will be affected by subsidence caused by historic extractive mining for Bath Stone.
• Any future plans to explore for, or exploit, Bath Stone in the locality.

The result will be a compilation and interpretation of the mining information available including workings, shafts and other features from a team of geologists, engineers and/or environmental scientists. It is likely to include a prediction of where further undocumented mine workings might lie and an opinion on the level of risk to the property in question. It will also usually include a plan showing the location of any works.

Many searches will include a professional indemnity insurance of £10 million which covers all parties involved in the property transaction.

Your report may also include recommendations to mitigate any risk if mine workings are identified.

What do they cost?

There is a free ‘MineScanner’ tool that allows you to enter your postcode. A positive result here would indicate that you should order a more detailed search.

The cost of a full search depends on the type of search and the supplier, but they usually start from £70. In some cases, a combined mining and environmental search can be ordered, which will be cheaper (starting from £30) than having separate searches.

How long do they last?

When acting on a conveyance, your solicitor has to follow The UK Finance Mortgage Lender’s Handbook, it says that searches must be no more than 6 months old on completion.

If you are thinking of buying or selling your home, you may find some of these services useful: