Outgoing Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney has been given a personal tour of the Bradda Head mine.

Accompanied by Lady Gozney and an eight-man team from the Laxey Mines Research Group (LMRG), Sir Richard made his way down the cliffside via rope to the entrance, which lies 400ft below at sea level.

The LRMG is tasked by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture with researching and helping to ensure the security of the island’s 400 open mine shafts.

Asked how the couple enjoyed the hour-long tour, LMRG project manager Pete Geddes said that ’they absolutely loved it’.

He explained that Lieutenant Gozney, who has an interest in mines, had expressed an interest in wanting to visit - the last time he had been underground was a couple of years ago in the Laxey mine, which he ’thoroughly enjoyed’.

In recent years, the LMRG has charted new veins up into the cliffside, and discovered mining equipment dating back to the 1800s.

As for the ’arduous’ climb back up the hillside afterwards, Mr Geddes said: ’They put our lot [the LMRG team] to shame actually, both His Excellency and Lady Gozney, they were like mountain goats.

’We were only informed by his excellency afterwards that Lady Gozney doesn’t have a head for heights.’

There is both historical and potential economic interest in the Bradda Head Mine, which was last operational around the beginning of the 20th century - with DEFA wanting to know about the possibility of there still being any rare earth elements in the mine.

It is very unlikely to be ever opened to the public, however, considering the numerous sheer drops and lack of an easy egress point.