Ferret Shed (Home)  >  Digging Log Archive  >  2003 Archive

THRUPE LITE

DIGGING LOG ARCHIVE
- 2003 -

2002 Archive

Wednesday 1^st January 2003
Well not a lot to update really as the promised hoard of digging talent failed to materialise - with the exception of Tav and I that is !

We watched the Thrupe Lane stream thundering down through the gate and unblocked the roadside drain before giving up at about 8.15. We did agree though that the dig site would have been very wet and maybe too much water for the hole in the base of the Rubicon to swallow.

Hopefully better luck on Sunday.

Sunday 5^th January 2003
A rather better turn-out than previously! Tav, Rich (light-duties), Simon, Bob and Clive.

A new shower-curtain was installed at the base of the Rubicon, which made working at the base of the pot much more comfortable. The stream was well up again but we were able to divert it as usual for a while. Later, the Rubicon 'hole' refused to co-operate any longer and water poured into the dig.

We had previously cleared Wednesdays debris and come to the conclusion that the way on was definately er...er...down, I think! So this is the way we shall continue until we get a better idea! This may be to install a third shower-curtain at the end to keep the stream in its place. Got any more fabric Rich?

Wednesday 8^th January 2003
Nik-Nak, Rich, Dave King, Gonzo and Clive defrosted their oversuits sufficiently to get underground, then cleared the debris from Sunday's operation. Gonzo engineered a new route for the water to take in the floor of the approach passage ('The Gonzole'!?)

By the end of the evening we were very un-clear about which way we should proceed! The rift ends most definitely in a wall of assorted boulders through which the stream now falls. Oh for a way on!

Sunday 12^th January 2003
Rich, Tav, Simon M-K and Clive.

Rich and Tav soon put their differences (about which end of the passage to dig) behind them (well after about an hour). They decided on one last go at the left hand end.

So after digging out about a dozen plastic bags worth a hole became apparent in the back wall going back up dip. What may prove of interest though is the point where it joins Bob's Rift - there may be some vertical or further horizontal development as a result.

Wednesday 15^th January 2003
Gonzo, Tav, Rich, Simon M-K, Nik-Nak, Dave King, Clive and Allen (BBC)

Well some good news to report for a change! ... A large amount of rock was removed from the left hand route and it is possible to see into the uprift continuation for about 10ft. There is a DISTINCT DRAUGHT.

Allen (BBC) filmed the dig through to the bitter end.

Sunday 19^th January 2003
A very wet trip. Tav, Dave K, Bob Rich and Clive chained all the bags of debris up into Advent.

Wednesdays efforts had opened up a new hole just to the left of Bob's rift. It's about a foot high but opens to about 3ft high inside. About 10ft ahead there is a solid wall with some stal. The way on looks to be to the right and down a rift.

Wednesday 22^nd January 2003
Dave King, Tav, Rich, Gonzo, Tony Littler and Clive.

Cleared the debris from Sundays op. and crawled into the little chamber. It's about 6ft to the back wall, 2.5ft high and about 10ft wide. To the left (updip) over a bank of flowstone, is a small grotto with solution holes in the roof going up about 6ft. To the right (downdip), there is a rift about 18inches wide and a foot high going for about 15ft. The rift floor is level silt and small cobbles and a small stream runs along it. The main stream can be heard again in the distance - a muted but distinct roar - it looks v. good!

There is a lot of work to be done opening up the floor of the chamber to make access easier then digging out and widening the rift, but prospects do look better now than for some time.

Sunday 26^th January 2003
Tav, Simon M-K, James and Rich W. Dank and foggy. Water levels still high.

While Tav started deepening the floor at the threshhold to the new tunnel, RW rebuilt the retaining wall of the Rubicon Pot. Probing with a bar suggested that the floor of the new passage is at least two or three feet deep - cobbles, rocks and silt. Ten or twelve feet in, the passage appears to drop down to the left.

Useful little session - still full of eastern (or western!) promise.

Wednesday 29^th January 2003
Gonzo, Rich, Tonys A & L, Dave K, Clive.

Clearing mud and rocks from the now fairly aquatic dig at the approach to Scallop Rift. [ This passage has been renamed - several times - the latest is "south by south-west" _(T.A.) ] This seems to be wider than previously thought. The right hand wall is undercut and it looks about a yard across, but choked.

Tony A has completed the phot coverage right to the end now. Photos are in pictures-3

Sunday 2^nd February 2003
Bob, Tav and Clive

The dig was very wet and required periodic baling (lets call it "South by South-West"! - we'll keep "Southern Discomfort" for later).

Bob dug away furiously all afternoon whilst Clive hauled and Tav found homes for the spoil round the base of the Rubicon pot.

By the afternoons end about a metre had been cleared into the passage, two very large blocks of stal had been levered off the roof and Bob had managed to get a rock to hit him very hard in the face.

Wednesday 5^th February 2003
Clive, Rich & James, Gonzo, Nik Nak, Tony L, Dave King & Tav (+ BBC Allan filming on the surface)

Excellent digging session last night - way on looks terrific. Draughting and vadose passage enlarges beyond an awkward bend. Sound of rumbling stream beyond - possibly falling down a 20-30ft pitch. Rift barking produces an booming echo ... Nearly there ?.

Attached is rough sketch of SOUTHWARD trending continuation.

Sunday 9^th February 2003
[Tav, Rich, Clive, Nik, Nak, Simon, Tony A.]

The dig looks extremely good. Beyond a bend in the tube, the passage enlarges and may even be passable [ unfortunately not _(T.A.) ] - with the sound of roaring water maybe 20ft ahead.

Wednesday 12^th Feb 2003
Last night's digging [ with Rich, Dave E, Gonzo, Nik Nak & Tav ] revealed some significant developments.

We took the MNRC pump (which Tony A had repaired) underground ... and it works !. After a bit of expermentation we found the quickest solution was to bail the bulk of the water, then use the pump on the remainder. Pretty hard work though in a confined space.

Now the good news ... Beyond the bend the passage is entirely solid (including the floor). It is a carbon copy of the Drainpipe in Goatchurch - a beautiful phreatic tube. A large stream of falling water can be heard about 10-15 ft beyond. Very strong inward draught.

The not so good news ... Part of the tube slopes uphill, so the prospects of permanently draining the water obstacle now seem remote. This is going to be a long term pain. The tube is small and will need enlarging for about 10ft.

p.s. ... how about calling it Inside Out Passage ... to commemorate our "Stardom" [ the recent TV appearance ] and reflect its rather odd geology.

Sunday 16^th Feb 2003
A reconnaissance trip by Tav, Simon M-K and Rich in cool conditions. Water levels slightly lower. Bailing, then more bailing as pump refused to work. A few sacks of sludge were removed as far as the bottom of Rubicon Pot.

A better view of the way ahead is now available. The phreatic tube after rising gently for a few feet, levels off and a trench develops in the floor. Ten feet ahead the passage veers to the left from whence comes the sound of a deal of water. An inward draught is also detectable. All in all, prospects are decidedly encouraging.

Wednesday 19^th Feb 2003
Tav, Rich, Gonzo, Nik-Nak and Clive

Passage bailed (not pumped), more drilling and clearing. Certainly an awkward area to work in - somewhat constricted and with the incoming tide lapping ever higher!

Sunday 23^rd February 2003(New Pictures)
Simon M-K, Tav, Rich, Tony A, Speedy and Clive.

Wednesday nights effort had produced, amongst other things, a crack against the right wall at the start of South-by-South-West which swallowed most of the pool - no need to bail any more!! Tony took some record shots of the way on and managed to 'post' most of the small rock spoil upwards through a gap in the roof of the little grotto. With Speedys help Clive managed to remove a bit more rock around the new little crack in the floor and watched (with some delight!) the remaining pool disappear with a satisfying gurgle.

Wednesday 26^th February 2003
Rich, Tav, Nik-Nak, Tony A and Clive.

Sudays debris made about a dozen bags which were hauled to the dump in Advent. Rich attempted to divert the stream back to the old lower route to prevent it undermining walling, steps, etc. Unfortunately his attempt produced little change. At the end more pics of the tube were taken.

Sunday 2^nd March 2003 (Pictures)
Tav, Nik-Nak, Tony A, Rich, Bob Cottle, Speedy, Simon M-K and Clive

Nik-Nak cleared at the face and Tav filled the bags and inserted larger rocks into the wee chamber at the back of the bedding chamber.

Tony, Simon, Bob Clive and Speedy were on spoil disposal duty and removed the roughly 18 bags which were the result of Wednesdays work.

Frustratingly, the bulge in the tube was still large enough to prevent a view round the corner ahead - Nik-Nak was able to pass the squeeze feet first to at least feel the way ahead - which seemed small.

In the approach to the face, our stream is getting somewhat smaller in terms of flow and noise but the stream around the corner has a distinctive, unabated roar distinguished now by a clear pulsating or splashing as if it is falling over a short drop. Clearly exciting times ahead, but not for another couple of sessions at any rate while the widening work goes on.

Wednesday 5 ^th March 2003
Tav, Gonzo, Clive, Nik-Nak, Dave Everett, Richard, Dave King

Last night's session removed a vast amount of debris. Continuation is now visible - tube turns S-E for 6-8 ft. in similar proportions [ small ]. A small boulder blocks any view beyond here - but there is a hint of black space (see crappy sketch). Fairly awesome noise of water and draught ahead - maybe 15 ft ?!. Very hard yards but with GREAT promise.

Tav's Crappy Sketch

All spoil - about 25 bags - moved back to Advent. Gonzo dug open a second Gonzole^® at the entrance to the tube - this captures the whole of the irritating trickle. Believe it or not - it also draughts !. Clive then attacked the tube.

Sunday 9 ^th March 2003 (Pictures)
Tav, Nik-Nak, Rich, Tony A., Bob and Clive

Tav and Nik Nak dug at the Sharp End. - Rich was spotted busily recording the sound of flowing water in various areas of the cave, including the end. (Sounds like a armchair-digging CD in the making if you ask me!) - Tony, Bob and Clive busied themselves removing 16 bags of spoil all the way up to the Advent tip. - Then Clive did some drilling at the end.

Meanwhile, the stream still roared on....

After digging, Tav, Nik-Nak and Rich paid a visit to Railway Swallet (NE of the dig), looking for possible sources of the "Eastern Promise" waterfall that we can hear ahead.

Farm news - Nelson collapsed in the yard a few days ago due to low blood pressure and he and Gilda have given up dairying, to concentrate on their beef cattle. It was strange coming back over from the dig on Sunday night to find the milking parlour quiet and in darkness. End of an era...

Wednesday 12^th March 2003
Tav, Rich, Tony A, Tony L, Nik-Nak, Gonzo and Clive.

Tav and Nik-Nak in the crawl and Gonzo bagging up in the chamber. Met by the now familiar pile of rubble. Becoming much easier to clear as passage dimension expands. Only down-side is a reoccurrence of the ponding problem at the far end. Another Gonzole is needed - but looks practicable.

Tonys A & L, Clive and Rich took the best part of 20-ish bags of spoil up to Advent where the traditional dump is now walled off and is being topped up by tipping through a hole a little higher up. Clive then attacked the end again.

Way on is ESE for 4-5 feet then SE for ?. It will all need enlarging. Obvious cascade sounds about 10ft from the end (but may be 15ft). There is now a distinct deeper rumble beyond that (maybe 50ft away), which Tav suspects is a pitch (either the River Thames falling 10ft or a Longwood sized stream falling 50ft ... his best guess is 40-60ft). Very strong inward draught, no doubt drawn by falling water.

Sunday 16 ^th March 2003 (Pictures)
Tav, Rich, Tony A and Clive.

On a Sunday afternoon far too sunny and warm to want to go digging the intrepid quartet amused themselves by clearing Wed's debris and finding holes in the vicinity to hide it!

We can now see fairly clearly round the corner and on for about 8-10ft (Tav feels it's 4ft) to where there is a boulder in the floor. It's actually not alone - there appears to be more than one rock there and they seem to be in, what may be, a passage running roughly at right-angles to 'Inside Out'. There is a small white curtain visible as well. Maybe the rocks have fallen from the roof at this point.

The water still sounds about 15ft away!

Wednesday 19^th March 2003
Gonzo, Rich, Nik-Nak, Tony L and Tav.

Gonzo digging at the front, Tav, Nik-Nak, Richard and Tony Littler clearing and bagging. Lots and lots of spoil from Sunday's rearrangement.

Now the good news :- The tube terminates at the head of a pitch. Can't quite get near enough to look down. However rolling rocks (everybody had a go) suggests the pitch is 50-60 ft deep, split by ledges, with the stream entering part way down. The stream is larger than the Gonzole stream - but is possibly no more than the size of all the combined surface waters.

The deep rumble we had surmised might be a 60ft pitch is BEYOND the actual 60ft pitch. So how deep is this !?!. Scary.

Sunday 23^rd March 2003 (Pictures)
Tav, Rich, Nik-Nak, Dave King, Tony A, Bob and Clive.

At last we have found some more dumping space! It's Official! - a major new area of dumping space is at hand!! Sunday should see us gazing into previously unseen new areas of dumping space 'measureless to man'!

Just a dozen-ish bags of spoil were dragged to the Advent dump site ( this will be the last - Yippee! ), followed by everyone having a go at the ancient art of 'throwing a rock into the void'.

This is great fun - just squeeze yourself as far up the passage as you can and lob a rock along the six feet or so remaining passage and over the edge. Wait the second or so (honest!) for it to drop and hit something and then listen with awe as it clatters and bounces further down the shaft/passage below.

"All to play for", "Not without interest", "A useful little session" - all pale into insignificance compared with "F******FANTASTIC"!!! which is what it really merits.

Wednesday 26^th March 2003
A bumper turn-out as might be expected - Tav, Nik-Nak, Tonys A & L, Rich, Gonzo, Speedy, Clive and a welcome return of Tusker (Dave Morrison).

With so many available to dig it was a case of passing the relatively few bags of spoil back, hand to hand, all the way to the base of the Rubicon for disposal on the last remaining ledge. Several people enjoyed a few minutes trundling stones over the edge of the pot and relishing the satisfying booms and crashes that ensued. Rich added to his audio collection of 'things going bump in the night' including suitable exclamations when hurled rocks fell stubbornly on the lip of the pot and refused to go any further!

Later on the last obstacles blocking entry to the pitch were attacked.

In the Ferret Shed, the loss of the Anglo-Bavarian advertising sign to the local thieves has been ameliorated somewhat by a nice framed picture from Tav of the grotto below the Priests Hole.

Sunday 30 ^th March 2003
Tav, Nik-Nak, Dave King, Tusker, Rich, Tony A, Gonzo, Speedy, Bob Cottle and Clive.

Well the long-awaited day came and Nik-Nak forced the very tight squeeze at the head of "Persistence Pot" then descended the 50-odd feet of pitch to find the way on blocked, but a promising dig site.

Later, Speedy and Clive worked on enlarging the squeeze. Another similar session should see it finished.

The estimated depth is around 175-180ft depth following the 'Breakthrough'.This makes it the 3rd deepest cave in the St.Andrew's catchment already (surpassing Honeymead, Viaduct, Welsh's Green and Maesbury). It just about enters the top 30 deepest Mendip Caves !! - another 50ft depth will put it in the top twenty !!! - and it's still a dig !!!!.

The way on is trending South-West, Tav predicts a relatively short (up to 10m) horizontalish dig - followed by a steeply descending narrow rift to another shaft at about 60-70m depth.

Sunday 30 ^th March 2003 (Cont).
Nik-Naks account of the first descent

Attached is a very rough sketch of the pot, but it should give you some idea.

Inside Out enters the very top of the pot. The pot has been formed in an existing rift or joint and is elliptical in plan view. As you descend from Inside Out the ladder is against a deeply sloping wall. There is an initial ledge after 3-4ft that you can just stand on but no others before you reach the floor after 50-60ft (perhaps closer to 50ft).

As you descend the pot, the rift in which it has formed continues to the left and right. To the left (as you look out of Inside Out) boulders block most of the rift, these being part of the same boulder pile followed from the entrance all the way to the start of Inside Out? There is one point half way down the pitch with reasonable space between the boulders if you dare, but I guess you would just enter the pile lower down. To the right the pot increases in dimension and after 10-15ft descent you can see a pretty grotto with a possible small higher level horizontal continuation of the rift beyond - could just have been a dark shadow.

After 30-40ft the pot becomes more narrow, about 3-4ft wide, and then begins to widen again. At about 10ft from the bottom a small stream enters on the right from a rat hole and cascades down ending in a waterfall to the base - perhaps the water from Rubicon pot? To the left a second small stream enters from near the base of the boulders - the remainder of the surface stream that we haven't met yet?

At the very bottom of the pitch is a small low arch, just big enough to crawl into, but this is guarded by the waterfall from the rat hole - its going to become wet again! There are no other ways on from the bottom. Unfortunately there is no body sized passage from just inside the crawl, this is choked with stream debris. There is some good news - there is plenty of stacking space at the base of the pot, sort of - 4 to 6 meters square that can be taken to a height of 50-60ft!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday 2 ^nd April 2003
Tav,Rich,Nik-Nak,Gonzo,Speedy,Dave King, Tony L (non-combatant!),Colin Rogers, Clive and Pete Mulholland.

Bit of a log-jam as everyone wanted to be in the same place at the same time - i.e. the end! Eventually Speedy was able to set to chiselling for a while and the total spoil was divided up between being pushed down the shaft and some sent back along the queue of diggers to the ledge at the base of the Rubicon (now filled).

After the crowds had cleared Clive set to work on the top of the pitch.

Saturday 5^th April 2003
Speedy and Clive enjoyed a gentle evening of rock-bashing on and had their first clear view right down the shaft at last - impressive!.

Sunday 6^th April 2003
Nik-Nak and Tav went down and found that the approach to the pitch is now huge (relatively). They descended the pitch and Tav found it pretty much like Nik-Nak described. Pitch head is now massive - the whole of Inside Out is now of the same dimensions. By measuring the ladder length they agreed the pitch is 45 ft deep. It is a very easy climb, nearly all against the wall, but mostly in pretty friable and fossil infested shale. At the base of the pot they discovered a very pretty grotto opposite the Archway, which Nik-Nak didn't notice the first time round. Very fine dry crystal basins and attractive flowstone. This ascends vertically parallel to Persistence Pot for about 12 ft. There is a very small horizontal passage at the top which could be enlarged, but this would trash all the stal and appears insignificant. There is no need to enter this grotto again - most of it is viewable from Persistence Pot.

Not so good news - the pitch has dropped directly back into the fault. A view straight up the familiar steep incline is available at floor level at the North (upstream) end of the pot. The only way on is the Archway. This is almost completely choked and is very wet to work in, most of the fill is gravel and stream debris. No floor in sight - pretty much back to following the solid roof downward. There is plenty of stacking space, but probably only room for four to work at the bottom. Tav estimates the cave to be 170 ft deep and about 400 ft long. Attached is rough (crappy) sketch of shaft in plan form and section East to West

---

Wednesday 9^th April 2003
Gonzo went down alone. Took a couple of stones out at the head of the arch to get a better view - it looks a bit like an aqueous Inside Out (Upside Down?!) and quite promising as the water flows away horizontally down a simple to dig passage. Waterspout is a pain but can be easily diverted.

Thursday 10^th April 2003
Tony A, Dave King, Rich and Clive.

Persistence Pot! Absolutely superb! Stunning formations in grottos in the main pot and at the bottom. Clive managed to get some digi pictures of both plus a view down the pot and some splash-ridden shots at the bottom.

The way on at the bottom looks as though it could be the top of a wider passage. The main probs. are the waterspout and the unstable nature of the slope on which we need to stack spoil. Rich did start building such a wall next to the grotto at the back of the rift next to the dig where we could accommodate about a metre's-worth of spoil without impinging on the stal.

Sunday 13^th April 2003
A small but talented team - Tav, Tony A & Rich.

TA & RW went to the bottom of Persistence and tested a tarpaulin to divert the water from the dig - this should work. RW tried a token dig by draping the tarpaulin over his shoulders but still got rather wet. [he looked like a rather damp tortoise _(TA)]

TA took several photos which may appear on the web in due course.

The dodgy boulder was checked out on the way down. It is OK as it is but should not be stepped on. Tav intends investigating the up dip passage at the bottom of the pot next time.

Wednesday 16^th April 2003
Wednesday night saw a small team of three - Tav, Dave Everett (back from Poland) and Steve (MNRC - first trip for a while). All descended pitch and Dave and Steve were most impressed.

Tav pushed into the Up Fault crawl on the North side of the base of the pitch. This proved to be totally solid ... but also totally blind. Basically a steeply inclined bedding chamber about 15 ft long (N-S) x 6 ft wide (E-W) - could be used for dumping spoil. Tav went wall-walking on a narrow ledge around the shaft and saw a well-hidden (behind a stalled-in block) continuation likely to be the one visible at the top of the pretty grotto aven at the base of the pot.

Onward and downward

Monday 21^st April 2003
Tav, Bob C, Rich and Clive

A digging and clean-up trip this time. Two lengths of ash tree were successfully attached to the tarpaulin Richard had previously taken down and a rough awning was constructed across the rift. This enabled most of the water from the spout to be kept off the diggers 'at the sharp end' but allowed just enough to get through to soak them thoroughly within minutes!

A start was then made removing rocks from the approach to the crawl, the idea being to produce a pit from which we can work forward 'comfortably' into the crawl. The crawl continues at a shallow angle and appears to be the top of a larger passage. Tav took some shots of the dig area and of Rich and Bob on the ladder.

Wednesday 23^rd April 2003
Rich, Gonzo and Clive.

Rich enjoyed a restful evening (and a wet behind) on lifeline duty while Gonz and Clive headed for the 'SplashZone'. They found that the tarpaulin had slid down its support poles somewhat and while fixing this, they managed to collapse it completely. The scene that followed was rather like the old pantomime skit of fighting to erect a deckchair on the beach while the damned thing keeps fighting back.

After re rigging, work started on the threshold area of the dig. The spoil was tipped in the up-rift extension under the 'slickensides' roof.

By the end of the session, it was possible to look through the immediate narrow section (about a foot-ish wide) along an absolutely horizontal passage which is about 10ft long and up to 5 feet wide. The airspace above the trickling stream is just a few inches. The right hand (up-dip) wall is of stalled-up cobbles etc, the left appears as to be solid as far as can be seen.

Tuesday 29^th April 2003
Speedy and Clive

Removed the ladder, ropes and scaffold bars etc then started work on the lifeliner's refuge site. This is on the right just beyond the last corner in 'Inside-Out' were the passage approaches the pitch head.

Wednesday 30^th April 2003
Rich, Dave K, Tony L, Nik-Nak, Gonzo and Tav present. Decent amount of spoil removed, but surprisingly perhaps, not as much as might have been expected. It is possible to turn round in the alcove though.

As Tony Littler had not been down the pitch, we re-rigged the shaft and he and Dave King went down briefly.

Regards

Thursday 1^st May 2003
TonyA and Clive.

Tony A tried some more photography looking down the pitch (painting with light technique this time) although it was a bit murky.

Clive managed to chisel out some satisfying lumps from the wall and then set to with a few more holes.

Sunday 4^th May 2003
Simon M-K, Bob C, Rich and Clive

More work on the lifeliner's refuge. Simon got to look down the pot at last and was suitably impressed by the shaft and also by by the progress in the refuge. Thursdays session had produced a good pile of spoil and sporting chiselling.

Wednesday 7^th May 2003
Cast of thousands - Rich, Nik-Nak, Simon, Dave E, Gonzo, Alison Moody, Dave K, Tony L and Tav.

Cleared the debris - alcove getting bigger all the time. Then Nik-Nak, Alison and Tav went down pitch. Cleared a few skips of gravel from the dig - exposing clean washed boulders. The most interesting development of the night was the investigation of the open rift about 12ft below the lip of the shaft, opposite the pagoda grotto. An interesting move saw Nik-Nak into a relatively roomy passage - well-decorated with curtains. He promptly disappeared !. Nik-Nak reported following a rising passage past two large boulders for 50ft plus !, including a chamber similar to Maglite. It still goes but he didn't want to push on alone due to potential for being trapped. Suspected voice connection with the mini-chamber at the start of Inside-Out (Gonzole II ???). An unexpected but welcome extension. Gonzo suggested we call it Nik-Nak's Nook, which has got a definite ring to it. Nik-Nak will supply sketch.

Sunday 11^th May 2003
Rich, Simon M-K and Clive returned on Sunday to resume work at the 'Lifeliners Refuge'. Hopefully that this will be the last widening session here.

Wednesday 14^th May 2003
Rich, Tav, Tony L, Steve Shipston and Clive

Cleared the results of Sundays efforts and then drilled and fitted the bolts. There are now two ring bolts in the 'Inside-Out' about 10ft back from the pitch edge. The lower one is the ladder belay and the upper the fixture to take a figure-of-eight or whatever to assist in lifelining. A third ring bolt was installed on the right side directly above the pitch for the double-lifeline pulley (already in situ). A fourth bolt will be set in the wall of the lifeliners refuge for a belay for the lifeliner.

Wednesday 21^st May 2003
Rich, Tav, Nik-Nak, Dave E., Ross Fielder, Gordon ? and Clive.

Tav and Clive cleared the results of the final session in the 'Refuge' and chiselled out some more of the floor. The final bolt (for the lifeliners's belay) was drilled and fitted and the pitch rigged and descended by our visitors (plus Tav I think).

Wednesday 28^th May 2003
Rich, Nik-Nak, Dave E., Clive

Ferried down Clives drainpipe and Rich hammered some rock 'wedges' in around the hanging death boulder part way down the shaft and deemed it and its neighbours a NO GO AREA.

The pipe was wedged in such a way that caught the stream a couple of feet further back up the tube where it falls over a little ledge. A suitable gutter 'funnel' fitted on the end will catch it all pretty well. The outlet will be just behind the protruding flake on the opposite side of the rift.

Two 'shower' curtains will be needed to finish the job - one to hold back the splash from the outlet and the other to contain any overflow from the inlet and to contain it against the rockface.

Wednesday 4^th June 2003
Tav; Gonzo; Nik-Nak; Dave King; Clive

Nik-Nak and Tav looked at the Nook. An interesting move off the ladder leads to a small stal-encrusted rift chamber (10ft long x 3 ft wide) with a shaft in the floor. There are some very fine curtains and some proto-Helictites. The solid shaft drops directly onto the hanging death boulder lower down Persistence Pot.

Beyond the chamber a short upward move enters a much larger rift - maybe 20ft high x 6ft wide at its largest point. There is a HUGE, and VERY UNSTABLE boulder at the entrance to the rift. This needs fixing. Tav suggests that the rift may connect back to the one at the side of Advent.

Meanwhile, Gonzo, Dave King and Clive took new pics. of Pagoda, then attended to the plumbing works diverting the waterfall from the digging area. Finally, they made a start on enlarging the wayon (now called "upside down") at the bottom of the pitch.

Sunday 8^th June 2003
Tav, Simon M-K, Rich and James, Clive

Tav and Simon busied themselves with updating the survey with Tav's new kit. Clive, Rich and James went off to the bottom to do more fiddling with the aerial plumbing system and drill some holes etc.

The previous session had produced a good effect with a new roof going back a couple of feet. Patches of blackness at stream level were visible to right and left. These weren't checked out too thoroughly due to the constant rain and the need for a good clearing session.

Thursday 12^th June 2003
Rich, Tony L and Clive. Hammer and chisel work at the dig face and more aerial work on the plumbing system to divert water from the dig.

At the end of the dig we're now right up against the large stal block. To the right of the block, looking through a 6inch wide gap with short straws above, you can see for about another 4-5ft - the water flows along the flat floor through a shallow vadose trench about 18inchs wide and 6inches deep in a passage about 3ft wide a foot-ish high. It bends gently to the right out of sight. No draught or sound of falling water (yet!).

Wednesday 18^th June 2003
Team of three - Nik Nak, Tav and Rich. Tav continued the survey, the cave to date was pronounced to be about 172' deep - another 323' to Wells.

The others cleared debris and stacked it in the slot at the back and under the walls. Peering ahead, the passage appears to twist right and then straight again in the form of a small sculpted tunnel, possibly just about man-sized (Wessex-sized) after the next few feet. Not without interest.

Friday 20^th June - Computed survey statistics to date :-

Length 420 ft
Depth 169 ft

Only Nik-Nak's Nook remains, which will take the length close to 500 ft !!.

This repesents a gain of 200 ft length and 52 ft depth since the last shareholders report - with potentially plenty more to come. The shaft complex looks quite impressive on the draft survey.

The way on is heading almost due west - towards, but beyond the end of Thrupe Lane. The furthest point is approx. 30 metres (100 ft) from the entrance towards Viaduct.

Cheers

Report from the NOOK
An awkward, slightly acrobatic move off the ladder gains a small rift chamber containing some very fine curtains. A short traverse over a 4 metre deep pot leads to a well-decorated ascending stal bank leading in turn to a steep boulder pile. A careful 2 meter vertical climb up past a huge grim looking boulder gains a large rift passage, 12ft high x 5 ft wide. To the south, the rift pinches out immediately. To the north a steep ascent over very loose slabs reaches a seeming total choke after 5 metres. A wriggle up to the left gives a view of an inaccessible continuing chamber/passage ascending for a further 10 ft or so. Entry to this would require digging. .

For those thinking of visiting the Nook, it requires very careful movement, not only because of the danger of boulder collapse but also because some of the formations, especially the curtains in the first grotto, are very vulnerable. Large cavers will have to move with the grace and skill of a python.

Wednesday 25^th June 2003
Nik-Nak, Rich, Tony L,Dave King, Simon M-K, Clive.

Tav, Nik-Nak and Rich went to check out and survey Nik-Nak's Nook while the rest went to the bottom to continue clearing, drilling, etc.

Wednesday 2^nd July 2003
Simon M-K, Tav, Nik Nak, Dave K and RW, all to the bottom of Persistence.

All debris was cleared and disposed of in the up-dip void. Ahead the passage is narrow and appears to be changing into a sinuous slot, dropping down a little judging by the stream noise.

Sunday 6^th July 2003
Nik-Nak, Simon M-K and Clive.

Tried drilling but had battery failure. Nik-Nak managed to squeeze through into the next section of Upside-Down approx. 10ft from base. He reported that he could see for about another 20ft into a widening with perhaps a turn to the left. Good acoustics sounding rather like a cistern filling in an echoey old public convenience! Lots of echo.

Sunday 13^th July 2003
Rich, Simon M-K, Nik-Nak and Clive.

After a blisteringly hot walk across the fields, Rich sat it out at the top of Persistence while the rest went to the bottom. Nik-Nak pushed on into crevices measureless to man while Clive drilled five holes in the roof at various points. There was a gentle outward draught at the bitter end , also at the top of the pitch.

Report from the very end.

We now have at least 25ft of passage at the bottom of Persistence Pot. The first low arch is approximately 5ft from the base of Persistence Pot. On the other side of this wet squeeze the passage widens to 3ft and roof rises to about 1.5ft. After about 12ft, a stal boss on the left prevents access to another 10ft (minimum) of passage which appears to widen. 2/3rds of the boss have been removed by hammer and chisel. A further short session of hammering should see us into the next section. The floor lowers into a trench whilst the roof continues at the same level - could we be about to enter walking passage????????

Wednesday 16^th July 2003
Tav, Nik Nak, Simon M-K, Steve Shipston and Rich.

Nik Nak hammered away at the obstructing stal boss. Tav cleared debris and chiselled chunks off the ceiling, while Steve and Rich hid all the spoil and did a little bit of step building. By the end of the session, Nik Nak had opened up a better view ahead. The floor drops away and the ceiling rises slightly to give passage dimensions of maybe 4' high by 2' wide, veering out of sight to the left after ten feet or so. Tav was even more optimistic, estimating that the keyhole shaped rift may reach as much as 6' high! The water tinkles merrily away around the corner.

Wednesday 23^rd July 2003
Simon M-K, Speedy(!!), Tav and Clive to the bottom. Tony L, Dave King and Steve Shipston turned up but then left to avoid overcrowding the dig.

Tav carried on tapping at a stal.boss on the left at the extreme end of the accessible passage. The way on can be seen but not entered as yet.

Speedy took great delight in removing large sections of the left hand wall adjacent to the last session's efforts. Clive drilled holes. Simon moved spoil.

Sunday 27^th July 2003
Simon M-K and Clive spent a happy hour clearing the results of Wed's session. Good amount of spoil from the roof plus a large portion just waiting for the hammer and chisel. The blocks on the left that Speedy had been battling with also came out along with about a yard of rock from behind as well.

Wednesday 30^th July 2003
Tav, Tony L., Dave King and Clive

A determined team set to clearing the back-log of rock spoil accumulated in Upside-Down and dumped at the base of the shaft. Tony L managed to insert himself partly into the up-rift dump area and spent a very uncomfortable time throwing rocks and small stones (one at a time)into the dump.

Tav scoured the floor of the dig completely down to the waterworn stream bed and the passage now has a much roomier feel!

Wednesday 6^th August 2003
Simon M-K and Dave K - clearing spoil from the last session.

Saturday 9^th August 2003
Dave S and Clive. Found that Simon M-K & Dave K had been digging the previous Wed and all spoil neatly disposed of. Clive got up to Tav's stal block and looked at the rift ahead, which he thinks is only a foot wide rather than the previously reported two feet. They then did some drilling.

Wednesday 13^th August 2003
DAVE Speed, DAVE King, DAVE Everett and Clive removed the previous session's debris and improved access to the stal block. This seems to become part of a bedrock ledge on the left and carries on for about five feet!

Clive took a set of pictures of Upside-Down up as far as the block and the view beyond. (see Pictures-4

Wednesday 20^th August 2003
Dave King, Steve Shipston, Rich and Clive. Upside-Down finally gave up some if its secrets to intrepid Dave King who squeezed past the remains of the stal. blockage. After passing the few feet of left-trending bend we had seen before, he dropped into a chamber 6ft deep by 4ft across with a large stal. bank down the left wall and consolidated stream debris on the right. The stream continued for another 30ft along a low, horizontal passage. Dave went along about 15ft and could see a pile of stream debris at the end with heavy drip falling onto it (possibly a sign of hitting a big cross-rift??).

Wednesday 27^th August 2003
Tony L, Rich, Nik-Nak & Tav.

Cleared a vast amount of spoil from the remains of the stal blockage. Both Tav and Nik-Nak were very impressed with Dave King's push through the very committing downward squeeze - they managed to enlarge this a little, but it is still tight.

About 7 or 8 feet of digging will be needed in the terminal passage to get to the low arch. The walls are solid but the floor appears to be fairly deep mud.

Regards

Wednesday 3^rd September 2003
Tav, Dave K and Rich.

Dave volunteered to dig which required lying in the small stream, scraping hard packed gravel and small cobbles from the bed, bagging it and sending it back via Tav to RW who secreted it around the base of the small chamber. As the digger dug, of course, he created a deeper canal to lie in! By the end of the session, several feet of progress had been made.

Wednesday10^thSeptember 2003
Nik-Nak and Tav digging, Rich stacking, Clive drilling and Simon (The Sicilian Hitch Kid) Meade-King lifelining.

Something interesting has happened. Nik-Nak and Tav managed to pass the VERY COLD arch/duck into a tiny chamber. Digging the floor at this point succeeded in draining the canal completely.

The drip coming from above enters from an attractive cross-rift chamber. This located on the North-South axis (parallel to Persistence and possibly formed on the Rubicon line of weakness). The chamber measured 12ft long x 15ft high x 2-3 ft wide and was covered from head-to-toe in orange flowstone.

The tiny inlet entered from what can only be described as a too-tight Vagina shaped rift from the northern end i.e. from the right of the approaching crawl.

Now for the really good news ....

In the floor of the chamber, a stal coated slot drops down 6-8 ft into a visible man-sized phreatic passage, complete with the main stream. The passage appears to be about 3ft x 3ft in diameter and the floor is completely clean-washed rock. The passage is trending South-West - towards St.Andrews and is EXTREMELY PROMISING. The very top of the slot is too-tight at the moment. All to play for. And we have some new stacking space !!!.

A crap plan of new stuff is attached.

Tav's Crap Plan.

Regards

Sunday 14^thSeptember 2003
Clive, Rich, Dave K, Nik-Nak, Tav

A hard 4-hour session which achieved significant progress. Enlarged the crawl/duck to twice its size. Everything now drains well. Tried to hammer open the stal constriction above the visible open streamway. This failed. Nik-Nak then applied the drill to the constriction.

On second viewing the 'way on' looks ... EVEN MORE PROMISING !!! ... so it will probably amount to 10ft of flat out desperate crawl !!. We shall see.

My wife suggests 'Tango Rift' as a name for the orange stall encrusted chamber.

Cheers

Wednesday 17^thSeptember 2003
Dave K, Nik-Nak, Rich, Simon, Tav

The last session allowed access to an easy 10ft descent down a stal slope to the stream. Upstream choked immediately, downstream, started well - 4ft high x 2 ft wide, trending due south. This soon narrowed somewhat. 15 ft ahead, the stream disappeared down a tiny slot on the left and the way on sadly was a crawl over a sparkling white gour formation. All agreed that there was nothing else for it - so Dave 'Stal Murderer' King was sent over the top. He entered a low chamber - locally very well decorated, with a fossil crawl over the top of a deepening narrow trench. 15 ft ahead a constriction halted progress. Beyond this, a fine stal grill bars access to the fossil continuation. Below the constriction, the trench hits a small cross rift. After enlargement, we should be able to drop 8ft deep into a fairly roomy cavity. At the foot of this, a window straight-ahead will regain the fossil passage beyond the stal grill.

Updated crappy sketch is attached.

Tav's second crappy sketch

Cave now guestimated to be 620 ft. long and 200 ft. deep. (This ranks us 26th deepest on Mendip ).

Regards

Wednesday 24^thSeptember 2003
Simon, Rich, John 'Tangent' Williams, Nik-Nak and Tav. Simon, Rich and Tangent moved the wire further down the cave and hammered a bit more off the former squeeze in Upside Down.

Meanwhile Tav and Nik-Nak surveyed to the end. The results are :-

Length 610 ft
Depth 190 ft (28th deepest). This is to the base of the visible pot.

The streamway is trending WSW (NOT South as we thought last week). It is doing a scarily strong impression of Tony Audsley's dowsing results !!! [What did you expect? _T.A.]

Regards

Wednesday 1^stOctober 2003

Rich, Nik-Nak & Tav.

A drilling session under difficult conditions at the end, in a frantic attempt to beat the wet weather.

Cheers

Sunday 5^thOctober 2003
Nik-Nak & Tav

A short digging session at the end.

Wednesday 8^thOctober 2003
Nik Nak, Dave K, Gonzo and Rich

After some clearing by Nik-Nak, Dave K clambered down the pot (only three or four feet deep because of the jammed debris) and around a corner into a sinuous rift with a finely decorated 20' high aven above. Beyond the floor dropped steeply to enter an exquisite grotto dripping with pure white stals and flows.

WARNING
The entry point is narrow and the caver has to make awkward moves within centimetres of the best hanging stal and straws.

The stream rejoins the passage to flow down a 45 degree trench for a further 20' to a too tight left hand corner and boulder obstruction. In the roof at the lower end of the grotto, Nik-Nak found a muddy inclined phreatic tube heading over the streamway but it is not quite man-sized. The total passage length is about 50' and the additional depth nearly 20'. Gonzo has suggested the name "Quality Street".

Sunday 12^thOctober 2003
Dave K, Tony L and Tav

Surveyed to end of Quality Street (Length 650ft, Depth -200ft), took some piccies, taped off the Aven Chamber and hammered off the flake barring the way on - the stream turns left and disappears through a small round hole which will need enlarging. Good draught though.

Regards

Wednesday 15^thOctober 2003
TonyA, Nik-Nak and Tav

Surface surveying. We mapped the entrance depression, the second sink and overflow pool, the field collapse, some of the countours of the field and then took a line all the way back to Thrupe Lane. This should allow us to tie up any relationship between the two systems. Will publish soon.

Regards

Wednesday 22^ndOctober 2003
Clive (surface only), Gonzo, Nik Nak, Dave K, Dave Meredith (WCC guest), Emma Heron (WCC guest) and Rich.

Despite the afternoon's heavy rain there was still no water in the western swallet stream.

Nik Nak, guests and Dave K went on to the end of the cave. After sightseeing, Dave peered around the end corner where he reported a lot of stal flows surrounding the tiny hole. The true passage dimensions could therefore be bigger than we thought.

Meanwhile, Rich and Gonzo dismantled the waterspout diversion system and brought all superfluous kit out of the cave.

Sunday 26^thOctober 2003
Nik-Nak and Tav underground. Clive and Simon MK on Thrupe Lane and surface duty.

Wednesday's session had done the trick. The whole left wall down to floor level had flaked off, leaving plenty of room to manoeuvre and a ( restricted) view of the way ahead. Once through the slot the stream veers off to the right and enlarges - all looks very good again.

Sunday 2^ndNovember 2003
Clive, Rich (late), Simon MK, Nik-Nak (late) and Tav

Another attempt to remove the constriction at the end ... and another failure. While Clive and Rich removed the annoying puddle at the top of Persistence, Tav, Nik-Nak and Simon ferried the kit down to the end and started drilling. Drill worked fine for 4 inches and then blew a fuse. BUGGER!

The cave was significantly damper down in the further reaches and will only get worse. Bugger.

Regards

(At least it was a different problem this time).

Wednesday 5^th November 2003
Rich, TonyL, DaveK, Nik-Nak, Tav, TonyA

A pleasant wittering session in the candle-lit Ferret Shed.

Friday 7^th November 2003
Dave King, A.N. Other.

Went down to the end and removed the jammed drill from its hole.

Wednesday 12^th November 2003
Rich, Simon M-K, Dave K and Clive.

No-one went underground but a very constructive evening was spent in the candle-lit splendour of the 'Inner Sanctum' of the Ferret Shed putting the caving world to rights etc etc (and not a beer in sight).

Sunday 16^th November 2003
Simon MK on carrying and lifelining duty and Tav and Tony Boycott to the end.

A drilling and rock removal session. After next Wednesday we may be able to make a decision to move ahead or shut down for the winter.

Regards

Wednesday 19^th November 2003
Tav, Clive, Rich, Simon MK, Tony L and Dave (wot insurance worries) Everett

After a hefty clearing session Tav was (just) able to squeeze up into a standing height continuation of the streamway - the familiar narrow trench with a nice phreatic roof tube. After a few feet, this turns right and steepens - unfortunately the trench deepens and becomes too-tight, while the tube above is too small. However it looks very good,there is a draught, the tinkle of falling water ahead and the canyon can be seen to widen - probably on a bend about 15ft ahead. It will need to be enlarged at least down to this point.

Total gain - 10ft passable with another 15ft visible. All to play for.

Cheers

Sunday 23^rd November 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Rich and James.

Following on from Tav's assessment of prospects, I think the Quality Street campaign has probably come to an end for this year and with this in mind, James and I visited the Plaster Passage continuation dig in Thrupe Lane today. We cleared out backfill rubble from about ten feet of small inclined tube, beyond which a tiny airspace continued for at least another six feet. . We dumped our spoil on a temporary basis in the threshhold of nearby Rock Street.

Wednesday 26^th November 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Simon M-K, Gonzo, Dave K & Rich

More work at the Winter Dig. Attempts to break up a floor bulge using a hammer (small) and chisel (blunt) were largely unsuccessful but some digging was done on the right hand side of the passage and beyond the bulge.

Sunday 30^th November 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Rich and Clive.

Tried to move the triangular rock and suceeded in jamming it in the passage. Then moved compacted spoil from the start of the crawland stacked it in the Rock Street alcove.

On leaving the cave, there was a torrent falling down the bottom ten feet of the entrance pitch pitch. The drainage works just above the Ferret Shed seem to have altered the stream profile somewhat so that water now runs down towards the cave more readily, as well as running into the pipe. This could well cause more problems in wet weather.

Wednesday 10^th December 2003 (THRUPE SWALLET)
Daves E & K, Gonzo and Rich.

Dave E and Rich to the bottom of the pot, Dave K and Gonzo to the bitter end. Water conditions were not too bad, although the showerbath is now more of a hosepipe. Dave K got as far as Tav, and thought that the way on looked a bit of a zig zag. Nearly all the tools and digging detritus were brought out of the cave, including the drill bit. The pitch was left rigged for a "white water" visit later on.

Sunday 14^th December 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Rich

Major flash flood at Thrupe Lane on Saturday 13 Dec - depression and adit filled with water. Spent Sunday afternoon clearing debris from the entrance and rebuilding the steps - yet again!

Wednesday 17^th December 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Rich, Dave K and Clive

To Thrupe Lane to begin the winter rock removal campaign in Rock Street. Drilled a couple of holes, etc.

Sunday 21^st December 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Rich, Clive and latterly SMK.

Cleared a satisfyingly pile of large rocks resulting from Wednesdays work in Thrupe Lane. Two more holes drilled. Work resumes after Xmas.

Oh and a Happy Christmas to all our diggers and readers!

Sunday 28^th December 2003 (THRUPE LANE SWALLET)
Clive, Simon, Rich & James W.

Dug in the Thrupe Lane Winter dig, clearing debris and drilling, etc.

Happy New Year

Top of Page
or
2002 Archive

(Modified: 23-Jun-2007)