Thrupe Lite was originally dedicated to the cave dig at Thrupe Swallet (the "original" 1930s dig site) and Thrupe Lane Swallet, on the Mendip Hills north west of Wells, in Somerset, UK. Unfortunately, neither site yielded its secrets to the diggers. ATLAS members now are now digging in Balch Cave, in Fairy Cave Quarry.
Thrupe Lite has the sounds and sights of a cave dig, but the discomfort and effort involved in cave digging has been carefully processed out in our laboratories. This makes it a healthier and much more enjoyable experience than cave digging.
Thrupe Lite gives you the authentic feel of cave digging without the need to go underground. You can see and hear the diggers from the comfort of your chair. Above all, it is clean. After viewing Thrupe Lite, there is no need to hose down your clothes to wash out the mud.
Thrupe Lite EXTRA is a new departure from the original purpose of Thrupe Lite. Thrupe Lite EXTRA contains a ruckle of material loosely connected with cave digging. There are items on mining, history and general Mendip interest. Thrupe Lite EXTRA may be reached from HERE or from the EXTRA links scattered around this page.
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If you have stumbled into this hole as a
non-caver, the best advice might be to back out now before
it's too late. However, if you really
must continue, then you may want something by
way of introduction. |
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"In Stygian cave forlorn,
'Mongst horrid shapes and shrieks and sights unholy,
Find out some uncouth cell
Where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings
And the night raven sings;
There under ebon shades and low-brow'd rocks
You lie, while water slowly soaks into your socks."
80% John Milton (L'Allegro ca. 1630), 20% Tony Audsley
(2003)
If you want even
more culture read . . .
THIS !
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 Real Timbering !
(Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland) THRUPELITE EXTRA
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Congratulations to Alison Moody and
team for breaking through the boulder ruckle in Charterhouse
Cave. So far they have about 1000ft of well decorated
streamway ending in a sump. They have captured the GB
stream which enters through a mass of boulders, so the world is
their oyster. They are surveying the new find and
also stabilising the entrance ruckle - leave them to it.
(Latest survey shows that it's now Mendip's
deepest cave).
Anyone searching for news about the other new cave on Mendip should try the MCG website(http://www.m-c-g.org.uk). The Mendip Caving Group have made dramatic extensions to Blackmoor Flood Swallet (AKA Upper Flood Swallet).
Access permission for Thrupe Lane
Swallet
Nelson & Gilda Butt
have retired; their farmhouse has been sold and it is now a
private house. The entrance is gated, but not locked
and it is not necessary to seek permission to enter the cave.
Bones from Hunters' Lodge Inn
Sink
The bones in Hunters' Lodge Inn Sink have been identified as
BISON and REINDEER - likely age 100+ thousand years ! For
pictures and a bit of info see http://www.arcula.uklinux.net/hlis
The Keep on diggin' shirts sold out at
the Ratfest. If you still want one, they are
available to order. The shirts are £8.00 on Mendip, or
£10.00 if posted (within the UK). Enquiries /
orders to Tony Audsley.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Duncan Price, Mandy Voysey, Clive North, Dave King.
46 bags removed from bottom of ladder and taken to the surface. We then washed the bags in the quarry before joining the others at Fernhill.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
Richard Witcombe, Alan Gray, Ken James.
Only eight diggers turned up tonight, so the smaller of the parties was relegated to Fernhill while the other five removed bags from Balch Cave.
Richard traversed to the end of the bedding-plane, below the poised boulder ruckle and installed some psychological shoring. Then with Alan digging at the bottom of the bedding-plane, Richard hauling up to the bottom of the shaft and Ken at the top hauling and dumping, twenty loads were removed.
We were then joined by the Balch team - Gonzo, Mandy, Duncan, Clive and Dave. Mandy then dug out another sixteen loads that were hauled to the surface and dumped.
Alan Gray.
JRat's friends gathered to share their memories of him and to celebrate his life with stories, singing, dancing and a little drinking. (18 barrels of beer and two of cider). A party, led by a piper, wended their way up North Hill, where portions of Tony's ashes were consigned to the wind and the mists.
Pat Cronin, Matt Voysey, Mandy Voysey, Rob Taviner (Tav).
The A-team dug about 50 bags out of the gloopy terminus and deposited them at the base of the pitch.
There's a nice sand layer below the mud, which looks pretty much the same as the last time we dug this bit out - about a year ago !!
Spookily there is a face on the wall - which might explain why Gonzo felt someone watching over his shoulder.
Rob Taviner.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Dave King, Richard Witcombe, Alan Gray.
The B team, of ill cavers, walked from the carpark to Fernhill. Alan with a sore elbow, Dave with five stiches in his head due to an incident with a runaway wheelbarrow containing a brazier, Gonzo with a cold and Richard being Richard.
Prior to digging, Richard inspected the far end of the bedding-plane for hanging death. The first third, from the bottom of the pipes has been shored up and is safe. The next third is protected above by boulders in the top; however, one TV sized boulder is sitting on a large slab of detached stal but it looks safe. The final third is most unsafe with a large boulder (supporting other boulders above) with friction contact to the rift wall and about 20 feet above the depth of the digging area in the bedding-plane. It may be possible to install some protection but it may not be necessary to dig close to this area.
Forty loads were claimed by Dave, but Richard and I suspect this, as Dave was suffering from concussion and had trouble counting.
Alan Gray.
Tav at the bottom loading up 78 bags - well-hung, well balanced Duncan and Gonzo over the top passing to Dave and Clive who came in the back way then up to Erratic Mandy, Mat, Richard and Paul Gray(*) on top.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo) - Mad Scientist and Master of Dubious
Punctuation.
(*) Paul Gray is a foul chimera constructed by Gonzo out of bits of Paul Stillman and Alan Gray
Early arrivals:
Gonzo, Duncan, Alan, Rich, Tav,
Paul S & Dave.
Only seven, so it was off to Balch with Fernhill taking a miss this time round. Tav at the bottom of the pitch to load the neatly stacked bags from last week, whilst Duncan & Gonzo hauled them up. Dave in J W Passage to transfer the bags for Paul to haul them up the rift to Erratic, assisted at the top by Alan & Rich who were also on ferrying and emptying duties.
Later arrivals:
Clive, Mandy & Matt.
Clive entered via the Link and S bend, after bailing 50 (?) buckets of water from the Link, then assisted with the bag transfer in J W Passage. Matt & Mandy stayed in Erratic and on the surface to help with the ferrying and emptying.
All 74 bags from last week were out and emptied by the time the lower team members exited. So off to re-hydrate much earlier than usual, but not before a little WHIZZZZZZ & BANG, or should that read fiz & pop.
Dave King.
PS - Note:
Not up early this morning writing this before going to work. Just
very late getting home.
Sometimes you wait for nearly a week, but occasionally two come along at once.
I believe that Gonzo's report is probably more accurate, since I took the count of bags to be the figure from last week's stacked bags. That count was dubious since the member entrusted with the start of the count hadn't quite got the hang of the numerical system.
Therefore, last weeks report will require amending to reflect the correct count. Not done, it could throw out the end of year accounts and Shareholders' Report.
Dave King.
Matt Voysey, Mandy Voysey, Clive North, Dave King, Kate Lawrence, Paul Stillman, James Stillman.
Horrendous wet and cold weather failed to deter seven valiant souls... (from procrastinating for as long as possible in their vehicles before the inevitable exposure to the elements).
All of us to the bottom tonight, where 74 bags of spoil were conveyed via a tightly spaced chain gang to the base of the pitch, where they were very neatly stacked by Paul. Debutante digger James did a sterling job at the dig face, even the malodourous smell of Matt's rotten helmet failing to elicit any words of complaint from him!
During the session, a dripping inlet formed on the left wall; by the end of the session it had become rather persistent and puddles were forming. Speculation was that this was likely the water bailed from the pool on the way in, but I doubt the proving of this assertion really warrants dye tracing.
Matt Voysey.
Pete Hellier and Tony Audsley, later Henry Bennett
A wet and generally horrible evening. Tony and Pete went over to the hole, taking scaffolding (to fence the shaft) and scrap car wheels (for foundations for the tripod if necess). We bolted the Rose Cottage tripod together and set it up roughly over the shaft. Two legs resting on rocks, one on a car wheel.
Pete went down the shaft and found 6" of standing water at the bottom.
That was enough, so packed up and then met Henry B walking over in the rain. Unanimous decision to go to Hunters' - best idea we had all evening.
Tony Audsley.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Mandy Voysey, Kate Lawrence, Dave King, Paul Stillman, Richard Witcombe.
Gonzo at the bottom of the shaft with the hideously overweight, dirty old bags Mandy and Kate at the top.
[That sentence is an excellent example of the
effect that punctuation can have on meaning. One
careless slip and ...
However, knowing Gonzo as we do, there is the suspicion that this
was not entirely accidental. Therefore, I have given
Kate and Mandy my old Swiss Army penknife; the one with the
rusty, but still exquisitely sharp, orchidectomy
blade. I can only recommend Gonzo, that you get some
wire wool and start knitting yourself some chain-mail
underpants.(T.A.)]
Dave in JW.
Paul and Richard in Erratic.
75 bags out in total.
Had a quick look at the 'end'. Geoffs Latch Locker had dumped 10-15 bags-worth of mud and there were signs of it having ponded up, but not too much damage. While changing we discovered my wet pants and Ken's gloves in dubious proximity.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
Henry Bennett and Tony Audsley
Using varied and cunning techniques, 30 ft of fixed ladder was lowered down the shaft and connected to a belay at the top.
We then had a quick look at the bottom, which was very gloopy, although there was no standing water.
Tony Audsley.
In approximate order from digface: Duncan Price, Kate Lawrence, Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Matt Voysey, Ken James & Mandy (part time latecomer).
[Gonzo had promised to bring a ladder for the Fernhill shaft but .... (T.A.)]
Gonzo's cunning plan to obtain a full compliment of diggers for Balch was foiled by the provision of a ladder for Ferhill from the Cerberus tackle store. An extra skip was installed in Carpal tunnel so that spoil could be hauled direct from the digface (it still really needs two at the front - one to dig/fill and the other to load/haul back the skip). A further worker at the S-bend can do the transfer to the second skip.
An unknown quantity of bags were filled (40 new ones plus whatever recycled ones made it down). These were stacked up at he base of the pitch. The dig face is now at the far wall of Geoff's Rift and the floor will require dropping to get into the ongoing passage ahead. The fill is coarse sand on the surface, below which is damp mud and some rocks.
Duncan Price.
Alan Gray, Dave King, Paul Stillman, Mandy Voysey and Clive North.
[Rich normally brings a ladder for the shaft, but as he was not digging this week, it was left to Gonzo ... (T.A.)]
After subjecting Gonzo to the 'sackcloth and ashes' treatment for forgetting the ladder, Alan and Dave set to at the bottom with Clive sawing away at the remaining steel rods with gusto (sorry hacksaw).
After 25 skips, all change for Mandy and Paul to have a go, finishing with a grand total of 56 loads.
Progress was made forward removing yet more of the clag and rocks which had come down last week plus more knocked down this week.
As a matter of urgency we could do with some more 'hammerbeam' shoring put in place beyond the big square block up in the roof, to give us some protection from the rocks hanging there.
I feel that we could be dropping the floor now as the draught is disappearing rapidly down at a couple of points along the left hand wall. One of those points is a nice waterworn joint that just could open out further down.....
All best
Clive North.
Mark lumley (Gonzo) and Ken James.
Cleared the remains of the obstructing block in Carpal Tunnel. The site would now benefit from an additional horizontal skip (Dave?) and rope (Mandy?).
Then joined the others for an evening of skip-hauling frivolity at Fernhill.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
Plague Victim: Dave
King (delivered a new skip and rope and then crawled
away, coughing and spluttering).
Main Team: Clive North,
Duncan Price, Mandy Voysey, Paul Hadfield, Rob
Taviner (Tav), and Richard Witcombe
Après Balch - two digs an evening hard
men: Mark Lumley (Gonzo) and Ken James.
Clive attacked the boulder on the floor and broke it into half a dozen pieces. These were further reduced by lump hammering by Paul H (who may have damaged his hand in the process) and the remains were built into the retaining wall.
While Clive carefully cut off two of the rod ends protruding from under the pipe shaft with a cutter blade attached to his drill, Paul H and Rich shifted mud and small rocks across to the left hand dump. Once Clive had finished, Tav and Ken joined the team at the bottom of the shaft and spoil was then sent up the shaft using a two skip system.
Twenty seven loads were removed from the right hand side of the bedding-plane and as a parting gesture some of the talus cone was brought down with a bar by Tav. The working space now almost warrants the title - small, decorated bedding chamber.
Rich Witcombe.
Alice Audsley, Tony Audsley.
Dragged five 6 metre lengths of steel strip from the farm to the dairy unit, did some cutting and sticking and then dragged three 10 metre lengths over to the dig.
Tony Audsley.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Rob Taviner (Tav), Mandy Voysey, Paul Hadfield, Ken James, Dave King, Duncan Price.
Carpal Tunnel was still full of fumes from Sunday's session. The ex-boulder lay in several pieces in the passage and measurements were made from the S bend to Geoff's Rift (5.5 m). Alan & Dave's survey data of 18 May totals 7.9 m (to the roof pendant before the Sand Aven), so there is still some distance yet to regain former ground. There was a 1" deep pool of water before the end.
The bags from last week were removed and emptied, with a large number being retired. Forty new Wilko bags were left at the bottom and Clive's cable was coiled up (but left at the top of the pitch by mistake).
Duncan Price.
Alan Gray, Paul Stillman, Richard Witcombe.
Installed more steel and timber shoring amongst the hanging slabs to the right, and threw concrete into various nooks and crannies - also over the heads of the writer and Alan. This area is now "good to go" as our trans-Atlantic cousins would have it (but no lifetime guarantees of course).
Alan drilled a hole in the large slab but the Hilti failed to crack it. Clearly the Hilti is not man/woman enough for the job, and we will need to use more robust methods, but carefully or all our good works will be undone.
Some more walling was built on the left and debris dragged down from the right was installed behind it.
We're getting there.
Rich Witcombe.
Clive North & Duncan Price.
Boulder worrying session in Carpal Tunnel, the results of which will be inspected on Wednesday.
A recce was made of the ales available in The Oakhil Inn where we received an indifferent welcome. Sadly, no budget lager.
Duncan Price.
Thursday afternoon, 18th September 2008: Tony Audsley
Found that a small lake had formed in front of
the shaft. Water draining from this had scoured out a
channel to the shaft and washed out some material from round the
top of the concrete rings. Encouragingly, there was
no water at the bottom of the shaft.
Measured up for the fence.
Monday afternoon, 22nd September 2008: Tony Audsley
Off to Uphills to buy 7ft strain posts, 5'6" split posts, wire, staples and such like. Left all this by the shaft and then dug out a deeper channel from the pond to the shaft to try to dry out the area a bit.
Wednesday (10am - 4pm), 24th September 2008: Tony Audsley
Borrowed a post hole digger from Dave Speed and treated myself to a decent crow-bar from Uphills. Started digging postholes. Found this rather more difficult than anticipated because of the large amount of buried rock in each hole.
Realised that the planned line for the fence was not going to work (deep mud), so over to Uphills for more posts.
Thursday (10:15am - 6:30pm), 25nd September 2008: Alice Audsley & Tony Audsley
Over to Uphills again for yet more posts and
then continued digging holes and fixing posts. A bout
of chainsaw carpentry to fix the bracings for the strain posts
provided a bit of light relief. Had lunch sitting in
the sun and watched dragon flies cavorting (I think that is what
they were doing) over the pool. By the end of the
day, we had fixed the major posts and fitted two strands of
barbed wire, which had tasteful, pretty, pink barbs (Barbie
wire ??)
Friday (10am - 3:30pm), 26th September 2008: Alice Audsley & Tony Audsley
To Uphills again to get eight more split posts
and then spent another warm and sunny day hammering them (and
others) into the ground and fixing the wire to them.
Lunch again sitting on the stones by the shaft watching the
dragonflies and Cow 42, which seemed intent on forming a deep and
meaningful relationship with the Land Rover.
Hopefully, the fence is now finished, although a stile might be a useful addition - do IKEA do them as flatpacks?
Tony Audsley.
Richard Witcombe & Alan Gray with Paul Stillman and Kate Lawrence appearing later.
Concreted in the shoring steel and timber, an awkward job as the grout needed to be applied overhead. The large section of detached wall on the lower side of the bedding-plane was slightly reduced in size with a lump hammer and then levered out with a crowbar to drop onto the floor.
An inspection of the roof beyond the "dagger" rock revealed a "lightly" jammed mass of rocks. It may be possible to carefully insert concrete amongst them to stabilise them a little. The dagger itself will be shored with oak timber. More spoil was shifted from right to left and consolidated behind a stone wall.
Rich Witcombe.
Cast of thous...er....four.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Mandy Voysey, Duncan
Price, Dave King.
Doubled the depth of the passage approaching the small open roof-space with a view to continuing at that size straight ahead.
Big block still requires attention.
56 bags stacked at the bottom of the ladder for the spoil fairy to remove.
Regards
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Paul Stillman, Mandy Voysey, Dave King.
Continued the photographic survey of Box Cave and Reynold's Rift. Three more photographs posted HERE or possibly THERE
(HINT: use the "< BACK" button when you get to the page).
Alan Gray & Richard Witcombe
Three of the right-hand hanging slabs were shored using two lengths of angle iron, one helfy baulk of seasoned oak and some carefully placed rocks and wooden wedges. A small amount of concrete will be required to stop anything moving. The one remaining threat - the blade shaped rock - can be shored when we are a little deeper and further over.
Redistribution of the spoil from the centre of the shaft to the left hand side was started. Interestingly, the large jammed slabs in the middle of the bedding-plane slipped gently to the floor when I breathed on them !
Rich Witcombe.
I always thought you were a heavy breather !
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Ken James (BEC),
Justine Emery (BEC), Malcolm Austin (BEC), Paul
Hatfield, Mandy Voysey, Mat Voysey, Duncan
Price, Dave King.
(joined by Alan Gray and Richard Witcombe on the surface to watch
the last bag get emptied!).
After 2 months away from Balch Cave, the dig looked amusingly familiar as the last lot of wet weather had kindly flushed its spoil back to the site by the block in the middle of the passage, which was nearly buried again.
The passage beyond was just small body-sized. 50 plus bags were removed to regain access to the small aven. The fill does not appear to have come down this aven and I'd presume that most of it has come from up ahead.
The block in the floor could do with tenderizing as it is yearning to visit the surface in bits!
Regards
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
20 barrels emptied, Hunters (almost) dry. Tony would have approved.
The new owners of the quarry have asked the ATLAS diggers to photograph, survey and report on the caves in the quarry. After an initial recce on 27th August by Gonzo, Matt, Mandy, Dave, Duncan, Fiona Burchell (MNRC), Rich, Alan, Tav, Clive, Paul Stillman and Tony, a second trip was organised to start the photographic survey. This time a smaller, crack team was assembled, ie., Gonzo, Tav, Paul Stillman, Kate Lawrence, and Steve Sharp.
The inital set of photographs may be seen HERE.
Mark Lumley (Gonzo).
Mark Lumley (Gonzo), Clive North,
Duncan Price, Rob Taviner (Tav), Alan Gray &
Richard Witcombe.
Visitors: Martin Grass, Paul
Stillman & Kate Lawrence.
Seventeen loads of rock were brought out, at which point a halt was called while general stability was considered. The fill on the right is now threatening to slide into the excavated pit and as no open spaces beckon yet at the bottom, it was decided to switch the point of effort more to the right.
Before this can take place, some steel and concrete shoring will be installed under the hanging slabs. Two bits of angle were fitted and concreting will be done next week. The present "pit" will be partly back-filled as we move across the bedding-plane.
Rich Witcombe.
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